Hitsugaya's Headache
by Mei-chan4
Summary: “Get rid of that child, Matsumoto Rangiku. Take it back to wherever you found it!” “But, I found her in the box, sir. Do you want me to put her back in the box?”
1. Baby in a Box

**I'm really excited to finally start writing this one. My friend and I came up with this idea almost immediately after Akatsuki Baby. Since it's the summer I can finally work on the rest of the 'baby universe' (sorry can't think of a better name) fanfics. **

Matsumoto sighed as she carried the extremely heavy box. The box contained the new captain coats and the new lieutenant armbands. Matsumoto had never realized clothes could weigh so much. She finally reached the door to the meeting room and kicked it open.

The captains and vice-captains all stood half of the captains on one side, the other half on the other. Their respective vice-captains stood behind each of them. They all looked at Matsumoto expectantly. Matsumoto placed the heavy box in the middle of the room. She opened the lid and began pulling out the robes and armbands, tossing them to each person. When she got close to the bottom, she paused.

"What's wrong, Matsumoto-san?" Kira asked.

"There's a weird lump moving under one of the coats."

Matsumoto moved the coat aside and clapped her hands together excitedly. She picked something up out of the box and held it up for everyone to see; it was a baby. Matsumoto began bouncing the sleeping baby up and down. The baby was wrapped tightly in a dirty blanket.

"She's adorable!"

The room broke out into a ruckus, everyone shocked at the discovery. All the loud noises woke the sleeping baby. The baby opened her eyes to reveal a deep blue color which matched the small patch of blue hair she had on her head. The baby began wailing, clearly not approving of all the noise.

"That's enough!" The 1st division captain hit his stick on the ground twice and everyone was silent, save the baby that Matsumoto was cooing at. "Get rid of that child, Matsumoto Rangiku. Take it back to wherever you found it!"

"But, I found her in the box, sir. Do you want me to put her back in the box?"

"No! Take her back to wherever you got the uniforms from!"

Matsumoto flinched. "But the uniforms were packaged in the 76th district! You can't possibly want me to send her back there!"

The baby continued crying. She grasped onto Matsumoto's uniform and began tugging on it.

"Aw, she's hungry!" Matsumoto cooed softly to the baby. "See, that means that she has spiritual energy! We can't send her back there!"

The 1st division captain sighed and rubbed his forehead. It was true that if the child was hungry that she had to have some spiritual energy. For her to display the need for food at such a young age also indicated that she might have a great deal within her.

"Very well. However, one of you captains must take care of her!"

All the captains looked at each other, none stepping forward. The baby had finally calmed down and was tugging on the necklace around Matsumoto's neck.

"The first division can't take care of her." Yamamoto said. "We have far more important duties to attend to."

"There's no way the second division can have a baby." Soifon argued. "We're the special forces and have no time to care for her."

Gin grinned evilly. "The third division would be happy to take her."

The small baby took one look at Gin and began crying and shaking her head. Matsumoto laughed. "Or not."

"I'll take care of her." Aizen stepped forward. He reached out to take the baby from Matsumoto.

The minute Aizen touched her, the baby began screaming at the top of her lungs. She didn't stop screaming until Aizen took his place back in the line of captains.

Yamamoto rubbed his temples in annoyance. "That's enough everyone! We are going to solve this in the most professional way possible; we're going to draw straws! Whichever captain gets the shortest straw, must take the baby."

The captains crowded around the vice-captain of the 1st division. Yamamoto drew first, then Soifon, and so on down the line until everyone had a straw. Everyone took a deep breath and opened their hands to reveal their straws. They all looked around and all eyes fell on the straw in Hitsugaya's hand. Hitsugaya groaned when he realized that he had in fact drawn the shortest straw.

Yamamoto let out a sigh of relief. He was too old to take care of a small child. "The straws have spoken. Hitsugaya will be the guardian of this baby."

The baby turned her head and looked at Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya returned the stare and for a moment, the whole room was silent. Then, the baby giggled and reached out towards Hitsugaya.

Kyoraku laughed. " Congratulations on the new baby, Hitsugaya."

Hitsugaya sputtered indignantly as Matsumoto handed the baby to him. "I can't possibly take care of a baby. I don't know how to make it stop crying."

The minute the baby was in Hitsugaya's arms, she fell asleep. The baby snuggled her head close to Hitsugaya. Some of the more refined captains hid their laughter behind their hands while others openly laughed.

"Looks like you have a knack for taking care of kids." Ukitake said. "What are you going to name your baby girl?"

Hitsugaya mumbled something unintelligible.

"Taicho, you need to speak up!"

Hitsugaya growled at Matsumoto. "I said, her name is Hitomi. She has the deepest blue eyes I've ever seen." He blushed when the others laughed at him. "Shut up! It just seemed appropriate!"

Matsumoto leaned over and tickled the baby's stomach. "Hello, little Hitomi. Welcome to our charming, slightly dysfunctional family." Matsumoto straightened up. "We need to get baby supplies!"

Hitsugaya sighed and began walking out of the room, Hitomi still asleep in his arms. "I'll leave the shopping to you."

Hitsugaya went straight to his office. He placed Hitomi on the couch and sat down at his desk to finish his paperwork. He had barely begun when Hitomi began screaming at the top of her lungs. Hitsugaya growled and went over to the couch. He picked the baby up and she stopped crying. He put her back on the couch. The minute he took his hands off of her, Hitomi began screaming.

With a resigned sigh, Hitsugaya picked Hitomi up and held her in his lap with one arm and did the paperwork with his other.

Hitomi giggled and began chewing on Hitsugaya's captain sleeve. Her teeth were starting to come in and it really hurt! She was starting to doze off again when Matsumoto burst through the door with Renji, Shuuhei, and Kira trailing behind her. All four of them had at least five bags in their arms.

Hitsugaya felt his anger rising. "Matsumoto, what are all the bags for?"

Matsumoto laughed and put the bags down on the couch and motioned for the others to do the same. "Hitomi-chan needs clothes. Those rags she's wearing just won't do for someone so cute! Then I had to get her some bottles, diapers, blankets, toys, a changing table, baby shampoo, and a crib."

"Where is the little tyke anyways?" Renji asked.

Hitsugaya looked down and realized that Hitomi was no longer is his lap. The five shinigami searched the room frantically, before any of them realized the door was wide open. Hitsugaya growled in annoyance. "Hitomi!"

Hitomi was crawling around Soul Society, taking everything in. Nobody seemed to notice the small baby crawling around on the ground. Hitomi was crawling around when she bumped into a pair of feet. She looked up and began screaming.

"Now, that's not very nice, kiddo." Gin grinned eerily down at the baby. He leaned down and picked her up, ignoring her kicking and screaming.

"Gin, what are you doing to that poor child?"

Tousen had walked up and frowned disapprovingly. "Put Hitomi down."

Gin continued grinning and nuzzled Hitomi's cheek. "But she's so cute. I just wanna play with her."

"Gin, give Hitomi back!"

Hitsugaya came up and quickly snatched Hitomi from Gin. Hitomi immediately stopped screaming and buried her face in Hitsugaya's neck. Hitsugaya held Hitomi as close as he could and walked backwards a few steps before turning around and taking Hitomi back to his office.

Hitomi cocked her head to the side when Hitsugaya sat her down on the couch. She held her hands out and began touching Hitsugaya's face. She let out a happy giggle when she saw his eye begin to twitch.

Hitsugaya held Hitomi's hands firmly in his. "Now listen very carefully to me, Hitomi. You can't just run off like that. There are some very dangerous people here. Do you understand?"

Hitomi giggled and blew a spit bubble. She clapped her hands at the furious look on Hitsugaya's face.

Hitsugaya rubbed his temples in frustration. "This is serious, Hitomi. You better do what I say or…or…I'll do something you won't like."

"Having trouble already, Taicho?" Matsumoto skipped into the room. She held something behind her back.

"What are hiding, Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya eyed her warily.

Matsumoto pulled out a cute white kimono with blue fish on the fabric. She came over and pulled the ragged kimono that Hitomi was wearing. She put the new kimono on and tied the blue obi around Hitomi's waist.

Hitomi waved her arms up and down, enjoying the feel of the silk kimono against her skin. She clapped her hands excitedly.

"Aw, she's happy, Taicho!"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and stood up. "I have to go to another meeting now. Watch Hitomi and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."

Matsumoto scooped Hitomi up and followed Hitsugaya out of the office. "I'll take Hitomi on a tour of Soul Society."

Hitomi fell asleep about an hour later. She was curled up in Matsumoto's arms, chewing on the sleeve of her new kimono.

Matsumoto looked down and smiled. She smoothed Hitomi's blue hair down, being careful not to wake the sleeping baby up.

"Oi, Matsumoto!"

All the vice-captains ran up excitedly, clamoring to see the little baby. Yachiru jumped up onto Matsumoto's shoulders and began playing with Hitomi's hair. Renji and Shuuhei were each holding one of her small hands and waving them in the air. Hitomi slept through all the attention until…

"Can I hold her?" Hinamori asked.

Hitomi began crying. She flailed her arms around and grabbed onto Matsumoto's necklace. She tugged on the chain, indicating that she did not want to be held by Hinamori.

Matsumoto rocked Hitomi back and forth, calming the small baby down. When she noticed Hinamori's sad expression, she smiled reassuringly at her. "She seems wary of a few other people. I'm sure she'll get used to you."

Hinamori smiled and nodded. "I better go. Aizen-Taicho will probably be back from the captain's meeting."

Slowly, the group of vice-captains dispersed until only Matsumoto, Shuuhei, Renji, and Kira were left. Matsumoto grinned at the three men. "How about the four of us go get a drink?"

Kira gave Matsumoto a disapproving look. "What about Hitomi-chan?"

Matsumoto laughed and adjusted Hitomi so she was holding her with one arm. She waved her other hand at Kira dismissively. "She'll be fine. I've a got a bottle for her in my bag so I'll just give that to her."

The three men reluctantly followed Matsumoto to one of the closest bars. Matsumoto sat Hitomi on the table and handed her an empty bottle.

Hitomi gave Matsumoto a blank stare and threw the bottle back at Matsumoto. She began pouting and sniffling.

Kira quickly picked Hitomi up and held her so her little feet touched his legs. He bounced her up and down and let out a sigh of relief when she began giggling happily. "Matsumoto-san, you forgot to fill up the bottle?"

Matsumoto laughed, already finishing off one bottle of sake and having another one brought. She poured some of the sake into Hitomi's bottle.

Hitomi wriggled away from Kira and crawled back onto the table. She snatched the bottle from Matsumoto and began gulping down the alcohol. Kira let out a shriek of terror and tried to take the bottle away from Hitomi. Hitomi growled and clutched onto the bottle tightly.

Matsumoto laughed again. "Lighten up, Kira-kun. One bottle won't hurt her. Now then, let's drink!"

A few hours later found Hitomi sound asleep in a drunken Shuuhei's arms. She had puked all over Renji after finishing off her bottle and promptly fell asleep. Shuuhei stroked Hitomi's cheek and gave a drunken grin.

"You know, Hitomi's going to be a hottie when she gets older."

"Oh, will she?"

The group turned and saw a furious Hitsugaya standing in the entrance to the bar. He ran over and yanked Hitomi out of Shuuhei's hand. He practically growled at the drunken vice-captain. "You are NEVER to come near Hitomi ever again! If you do, I'll make sure you regret the day you were born."

Hitsugaya stormed out of the bar, holding Hitomi as close as he possibly could. He made his way to the squad ten barracks and finally came to his own quarters. Inside, a crib was set up beside the bed. Hitsugaya took Hitomi over to the changing table and changed her into a white sleeping kimono. He then took her over to her crib and tucked her in.

Hitomi sleepily held her hands out to Hitsugaya. She made a small, happy noise in the back of her throat when Hitsugaya let her hold one of his hands. She fell asleep, holding Hitsugaya's hand.

**Well, there's the first chapter. Please let me know what you think! If I get enough positive feedback, I'll continue the story! Constructive criticism and ideas are always welcome! **


	2. 9th Squad

**Yeah, incase nobody noticed, I changed the title of the story. Thank you all so much for reviewing! You guys are awesome! You should all check out my profile and follow the pretty link I posted to see a picture of all six of the girls that my sister drew for me! Please enjoy!**

"Rangiku-san, I'm back!"

Matsumoto looked up from her paperwork and smiled brightly. "Welcome back, Hitomi-chan. Do you know what squad they put you in?"

Hitomi was now the same age as Yachiru, only slightly taller. Her messy light blue hair hung loose around her, a small black bow holding back one side of her hair. She wore the red outfit that all female students at the Academy were forced to wear. Her dark blue eyes sparkled with a mischievous light that she had gained from being partly raised by Matsumoto. "I'm on Shuuhei-nichan's squad!" She looked around curiously. "Where's Daddy?"

At that moment, Hitsugaya walked in, looking completely worn out. He wasn't prepared when a blur of blue tackled him to the ground, hugging the wind out of him. "Get off, Hitomi."

Hitomi scrambled off of Hitsugaya, grinning proudly up at him. "Did you see, Daddy? I'm the 14th seat on the 9th squad! I was the youngest one to graduate! Do you wanna see my Zanpaktou again?"

Hitsugaya could feel another headache coming on. "Yes, I know you're on the 9th squad. I know you were the youngest to graduate and no I don't want to see your Zanpaktou again. Go put your shinigami robes on. You have to meet with your squad captain and vice-captain in an hour."

Hitomi skipped happily out of the room to go change. She ran happily down the hallways that led towards the 10th division barracks. Hitomi was startled out of her happiness by a voice behind her.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, Hitomi-chan?"

Hitomi turned around, hands on her hips, and a scowl on her face. "That's Hitomi-san to you, Aizen-Taicho."

Aizen chuckled and knelt down so he was eye level with Hitomi. He smoothed her hair down and smiled warmly at her. "You're so much like Hitsugaya, Hitomi-san. Why do you always speak so coldly to me?"

Hitomi frowned and closed her eyes, thinking. "I don't know. I guess it's 'cause your no fun. You always tell the others about my pranks. You're boring."

Aizen laughed. "Well then, I won't tell anyone about your pranks from now on."

Hitomi tilted her head to the side. "Even if I was going to play a prank on Yamamoto-jichan?"

Aizen patted Hitomi on the head. "Even if the prank is on Yamamoto-Taicho, I won't say anything."

Hitomi grinned. "Then you can call me Hitomi-chan!"

"Hitomi, why aren't you ready!?"

Hitomi peeked around Aizen and let out a small 'eep'. Hitsugaya was coming towards them, clearly angry that she wasn't ready yet. "Bye, Aizen-Taicho!" Hitomi ran the rest of the way towards the barracks to change into her uniform.

Aizen laughed when Hitsugaya came and stood beside him. "You've certainly instilled fear into Hitomi-chan."

Hitsugaya scoffed. "If only it were that easy. Hitomi never listens to me. She's always playing pranks instead of doing her work. I don't know why they let her graduate so early. She's not ready."

Aizen smiled. "You sound like a true father, Hitsugaya. You're worried about your baby girl. That's a perfectly natural feeling for a parent to have for their child."

"I'm not worried!" Hitsugaya sputtered. "Well, maybe a little…but that worry is for her squad. Hitomi would rather goof off than do any work."

"Obviously having Matsumoto around has rubbed off on Hitomi-chan."

"Look at me, Daddy!" Hitomi came running back up to the two captains. She now wore the traditional shinigami robes with her Zanpaktou tied around her waist. She twirled around. "Don't I look good in it, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya could feel the corners of his lips trying to turn up. He quickly put on his trademark frown. "You look fine, Hitomi. Now hurry up; you need to go met up with Tousen-Taicho."

The two bowed to Aizen and walked off. Hitomi reached up to hold Hitsugaya's hand and he allowed her to. Hitomi had a bright smile on her face while Hitsugaya continued to frown.

"Hitomi, once I leave you with Tousen-Taicho, you can't hold my hand anymore. You will be officially a part of Soul Society and therefore, you must be independent. Do you understand?"

Hitomi tightened her grip on Hitsugaya's hand. "I know, Daddy. That's why I want to hold your hand right now, since it will be the last time." She turned her head up to him and smiled. "I'll make you proud, Daddy."

"So does that mean you'll stop playing pranks?"

"No way! I thought up the greatest prank ever in the history of Soul Society. Me an' Yachiru-chan are gonna wait until Ichimaru-Taicho goes to sleep an' we're gonna sneak into his room an' cover him in honey and feathers!"

Hitsugaya was silent for a moment. He pulled his hand out of Hitomi's grasp and began smacking her over the head. "Are you stupid!? Why would you do something like that!? I swear if I find out that you really did that…"

Hitomi covered her head. "We haven't done it yet, Daddy!"

"You won't do it at all, understand!?"

"Ow! Yes, I understand!"

"Are you causing mischief again, Hitomi-chan?"

Hitomi let out a gleeful scream. "Shuuhei-nichan!" She ran over to him and hugged him around his knees.

Shuuhei managed to keep his balance and returned the hug briefly before noticing the icy glare Hitsugaya sent him. He quickly held his hands behind his back. "Hello, Hitsugaya-Taicho."

"Did you come to meet us, Hisagi-san?" Hitsugaya had not forgotten the comment a drunken Shuuhei had made years ago. Hitsugaya always tried to keep Shuuhei as far from Hitomi as he could. Now that would no longer be possible.

Shuuhei nodded nervously. "Yes, Hitsugaya-Taicho. Tousen-Taicho sent me to take Hitomi-chan to the 9th squad's quarters." He held his hand out to Hitomi. "Are you ready to go?"

Hitomi looked over her shoulder. She quickly ran over to Hitsugaya and hugged him tightly. "I'll see you soon, Daddy. I really will make you proud. Just watch!" Hitomi ran over to Shuuhei and took his hand. She looked over her shoulder one more time and smiled at Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya stood in the exact same spot, even after Hitomi and Shuuhei had gone around the corner.

"Aw, don't worry Taicho. She's just moving to a different barrack. I'm sure she'll come visit you."

Hitsugaya took a deep breath to keep himself from yelling. "What are you doing here, Matsumoto?"

Matsumoto grinned. "I came to make sure you would be okay with Hitomi leaving."

"Is the paperwork done?"

"…almost."

"Matsumoto!"

Hitomi giggled as she heard Hitsugaya yelling. "Daddy gets angry at Rangiku-san a lot." Her smile faded. "He gets angry with me a lot too."

Shuuhei smiled and ruffled her hair. "He just worries about you."

Hitomi put on a determined expression. "Well, I'm not going to let him worry about me anymore! I'm going to prove to him that I can take care of myself. I'm going to make him proud."

The rest of Shuuhei and Hitomi's walk was silent. They finally reached the area designated to the 9th squad. Shuuhei led Hitomi into a large meeting room where Tousen was sitting, drinking a cup of tea.

Hitomi sat down at one of the cushions on the ground, Shuuhei sitting on her right. Hitomi grinned brightly. "Hello, Kaname-san!"

Tousen sighed. "You must address me as Taicho now, Hitomi. It is not becoming of someone as pure as you to be so disrespectful."

Hitomi blinked. "Oh, okay, Kaname-Taicho."

Another sigh. "Good enough, Hitomi. Shuuhei will show you to your room. You will begin training with the rest of the squad tomorrow."

Hitomi jumped up and hugged Tousen. "See you tomorrow, Kaname-Taicho!" She skipped happily out of the room and let Shuuhei lead the way towards the barracks.

Shuuhei stopped at an unmarked door. "This will be your room, Hitomi-chan. Are you going to be okay tonight?"

Hitomi huffed. "I'm not a kid, Shuuhei-nichan. I'll be fine." Hitomi walked into her room and closed the door.

The room was sparsely decorated with only a bed and a desk as the furniture. A large window was right beside her bed.

Hitomi sat on her bed, watching as the sun set on Soul Society. She yawned and curled up on her large bed, falling into a peaceful sleep, looking forward to tomorrows training session.

**I promise the second chapter will be a lot funnier. I really appreciate all of your reviews. They make me happy . If any of you have any suggestions please feel free to email me. I love hearing ideas from other people and I usually try to put them in the stories somehow. I'm going to go to bed now because it's 2 in the morning and I had to spend all day walking around in a cave with 18 4****th**** graders so good night and much love!**


	3. Memories

**Not much to say in this author note. I'm exhausted but if I go to sleep before updating, Briana-chan will kill me. There is a poll posted on my profile, please go vote in it! It will help determine two new fanfics!**

Hitsugaya laid in his bed and sighed. It was the first night Hitomi was away and it was too quiet. He sighed and closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

_Hitsugaya groaned in annoyance as he heard Hitomi crying again. He stumbled over to her crib and glared down at her. "Be quiet and go to sleep!"_

_A six month old Hitomi glared up at Hitsugaya. She began pounding her feet on the mattress and screaming louder. Hitomi flailed her arms up in the air and continued screaming._

_Hitsugaya continued glaring. Reluctantly, he reached into the crib and picked Hitomi up. He walked around the room in a circle, bouncing Hitomi up and down. When she continued to cry, he felt a headache coming on. "Would you just go to sleep already!?"_

_As the baby continued to scream, Hitsugaya felt his agitation level rising. He finally gave up and went over to his bed. He laid down on his bed and put Hitomi on his stomach. He picked her up and held her above him._

_Hitomi giggled and blew spit bubbles to show her happiness. She reached out towards Hitsugaya and smiled happily down at him. She sighed happily as Hitsugaya put her back down on his stomach. She grabbed a fistful of Hitsugaya's sleeping kimono and began chewing on it. Her blue eyes drifted shut and she made a sound of contentment._

"Wake up, Taicho!"

Hitsugaya groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He was met with the sight of Matsumoto's grin. He growled and slowly sat up. "What are you doing here, Matsumoto?"

"You're late for your meeting, Taicho."

Matsumoto laughed and she watched Hitsugaya run around getting ready. She looked around the room and found a picture of Hitsugaya yelling at a two year old Hitomi. She smiled, remembering when that picture had been taken.

_"Where's Hitomi!?"_

_Hitsugaya ran around the entire tenth squad area searching desperately for the mischievous young girl._

_Hitomi was sneaking out of the 8__th__ division captain's room, wearing his large pink kimono and hat. She giggled and ran happily through the hallways, occasionally tripping over the large kimono. She grinned and peeked around the corners, pushing the hat up so she could see. She made her way to the 1__st__ division area, managing to avoid being seen. She snuck into the Yamamoto's office and looked around._

_Yamamoto was sleeping at his desk, his staff propped against the wall beside him. He was completely oblivious to Hitomi stealing his staff and running out of the room. _

_Hitomi ran happily around Soul Society, avoiding all the shinigami that tried to catch her. Her happiness was cut short when she felt someone pick her up. She dropped the staff and pushed the hat up over eyes. She screamed when she saw who it was._

_Aizen smiled at the small girl. "What havoc are you creating now, Hitomi-chan?"_

_Hitomi tried to struggle away from Aizen but it was no use._

_"Ah, you found our little troublemaker." Matsumoto walked over and took Hitomi from Aizen. She smiled down at Hitomi. "I see you've been stealing from the captain's again."_

_Hitomi grinned broadly._

_"Hitomi!" Hitsugaya came over and glared at the small girl in Matsumoto's arms. "You are going to return all of the things you stole and apologize to everyone." He put her on the ground and grabbed her hand, dragging her away._

"Let's go, Matsumoto."

**I'm sooooooooo sorry this one is so short. I have to go to bed or my parents are going to take my computer away. I promise you will get a much longer chapter next week. Please review and tell me what you think though. Only positive and constructive criticism please!**


	4. The Blue Sky

**I'm so sorry last weeks chapter was so short! Hopefully, this chapter will make up for that. Not much to really say about this chapter.**

Hitomi sighed and looked out the window. She had done all of her paperwork for the day and she missed her Hitsugaya terribly. She sighed again and got up. She wandered out of her small office and decided to go visit her best friend. As she walked, she looked up towards the sky. She was never sure why, but she always felt sad when she looked up into the sky.

"Blue-chan!!"

Hitomi squeaked as she was tackled to the ground by a blur of pink. "Hi, Pink-chan!"

Yachiru allowed Hitomi to sit up. She grinned widely at her. "So, what do you want to do today, Blue-chan?"

Hitomi thought for a few seconds and then grinned. "Let's go see what Ikkaku is doing."

The two girls linked arms and skipped happily through Soul Society, trying to find the bald hothead. Yachiru and Hitomi had become close since they were the youngest shinigami in Soul Society. The two were constantly getting into trouble.

Yachiru began waving her arms around wildly. "There he is!"

The two girls spotted Ikkaku walking along casually. They ran at him and tackled him to the ground. Hitomi smiled down at Ikkaku's furious face. "Hi, Ikkaku-chan."

Ikkaku growled and sat up, knocking the two girls off of him. "Why the hell can't you two find someone else to bother!?"

Yachiru and Hitomi pouted. "But we love you, Ikkaku-chan."

Ikkaku rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Go bother Renji or something, Hitomi. Yachiru-fukutaicho, Kenpachi-taicho was looking for you."

Hitomi pouted as she waved goodbye to Yachiru. She began wandering aimlessly again. She climbed onto a roof a continued staring up at the sky. The blue sky matched her hair and eyes and Hitomi wondered if the joke Renji and some of the other shinigami shared was true; that she was a small piece of the sky that fell to the earth.

"Ah, so this is where you've been hidin'."

Hitomi winced at the voice beside her but bowed politely. "Were you looking for me, Ichimaru-taicho?"

Gin smiled eerily at the small girl. "I wasn't. Tousen ain't happy with ya runnin' off so I jus' decided to give ya a fair warnin'."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "I finished all my stupid paperwork. What does he want?"

"I need you to deliver some papers to the 13th division."

Hitomi jumped when her Taicho appeared in front of her. She laughed sheepishly. "I'll do that right away, Taicho."

She bowed and quickly ran off, leaving the two captains behind her. She hopped from roof to roof, finally landing in front of the door to Ukitake's office. She went in without knocking. "I have some papers for you, Ukitake-chan!"

Ukitake looked up from his desk and smiled. "Ah, thank you, Hitomi-chan."

Hitomi handed him the papers and looked around. "When is Rukia-neechan coming home?"

Ukitake's eyes lowered. "Kuchiki-taicho and Abarai-fukutaicho were sent to go retrieve her. She'll be back soon."

Hitomi clapped her hands together. "Yay! Rukia-neechan promised she'd play with me when she got back!" She bowed to Ukitake. "I better get back or Taicho will freak out again. Bye, Ukitake-chan!"

Hitomi left the 13th division and decided to make a quick stop by the 10th division to see Hitsugaya. She got to his office and cautiously opened the door. She smiled when she saw Hitsugaya diligently at work. "Hi, Daddy!"

Hitsugaya looked up. "What are you doing here, Hitomi? Shouldn't you be doing your work?"

Hitomi grinned proudly. "I finished all my paperwork and I just delivered papers to Ukitake-chan."

Hitsugaya looked down at his paperwork. He only had a few more to sign, he could take a break. He stood up and walked around his desk. "Let's go get something to eat, Hitomi."

Hitomi squealed. She reached out to take Hitsugaya's hand but faltered. She remembered how he had told her she couldn't hold his hand anymore. Reluctantly, Hitomi put her hand back down and walked beside Hitsugaya in silence.

Hitsugaya reached down and took Hitomi's hand. "It's okay when we're not working."

Hitomi smiled brightly and squeezed Hitsugaya's hand. "Thanks Daddy."

The two went to a small restaurant. They ate in silence for the first few minutes before Hitomi looked up. "Are you proud of me, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya took a drink of his tea and slowly put it down. "Do you think I should be proud?" He gave Hitomi one of his sternest looks. "You're constantly goofing off, you play pranks on everyone, your head is always in the clouds, and you never take your training seriously." He sighed when Hitomi hung her head. "However, you are one of the youngest shinigami here, you're a seated officer on your squad, and you get your work done more promptly than Matsumoto. So, yes, I am proud of you, Hitomi."

Hitomi lifted her head up and grinned. She jumped across the table knocking dishes and food off. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"Hitomi, get off!"

"Ah, there you are, Taicho!" Matsumoto ran into the restaurant. "They've brought Kuchiki Rukia back. She's being held in squad 6's holding cells."

Hitomi blinked and let go of Hitsugaya. "Did Rukia-neechan do something wrong?"

Hitsugaya sat up. "It doesn't concern you, Hitomi. Go back to your barracks."

Hitomi reluctantly left the restaurant. Instead of going to her barracks, she made a mad dash for the 6th division. She snuck in and cautiously made her way down to the holding cells. She peered into each one until she found Rukia. "Rukia-neechan!"

Rukia glanced over her shoulder and smiled when she saw Hitomi standing in front of the bars. "What are you doing here, Hitomi-chan?"

"You promised you'd play with me when you got back. Why are you in jail?"

Rukia's smile softened. "I broke the law and now I'll be punished for it."

"What law did you break?"

Rukia sighed and stood up from her chair. She knelt in front of the bars and reached through, placing her hand on top of Hitomi's head. "I went to the Human World and gave my powers to a human."

Hitomi's eyes widened. "What are they gonna do for your punishment?"

Rukia's eyes saddened. "I'll probably be killed."

"What!? They can't kill Rukia-neechan! Why do you have such a harsh punishment!?"

Rukia smiled and patted Hitomi on the head affectionately. "Don't worry about me, Hitomi. You should get back to your barracks before you get in trouble."

Hitomi gripped Rukia's hand before Rukia could go back to her chair. "I'll find a way to save you, Rukia-neechan." Hitomi let go and quickly ran out of the holding cell area, avoiding all the shinigami on patrol. She quietly snuck back into her barracks, relieved that she hadn't been spotted.

"And where have you been, Hitomi?"

Hitomi winced as her captain's voice pierced through her. "I went to go see Rukia-neechan."

Tousen frowned. "You are not allowed to enter another squad's holding cell area, Hitomi. You know better than that."

Hitomi kicked her sandaled foot on the ground. "I know, but, I wanted to see Rukia-neechan. Are they really gonna kill her, Kaname-taicho?"

"More than likely, yes."

"Can you ask them not to? You're a captain so they'll listen to you."

"Justice must be dispensed, Hitomi. Go to your barrack."

Hitomi's eyes saddened and she shuffled off to her room. She collapsed onto her bed and gripped her pillow tightly. She looked out her window at the black night sky, staring at all the bright stars. She made a promise to the stars then, and to herself; she would find a way to save Rukia, even if it meant betraying Soul Society, making her father lose his pride in her, and even if it meant doing it all alone.

**There ya go guys! Next chapter will start following the manga so look forward to that. Please review! It makes me very happy!**


	5. Ice Cream

**I have some bad news for you guys. This Saturday, Sakura02 and I will be leaving for Disneyworld and will be gone until July 26****th****. Hopefully this chapter will satisfy all of you until then.**

"Hitomi-chan, wake up! We need to go to our squad's meeting!" Shuuhei yelled from outside Hitomi's room.

Hitomi slowly rolled out of her bed, dragging her body over to her wardrobe. She sluggishly pulled on her shinigami robes and tied her Zanpaktou around her waist. She slowly walked out of her room and smiled sleepily up at Shuuhei. "I'm ready."

Shuuhei walked ahead of Hitomi, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure she was still there. He led her away from the 9th division area and led her over to the 10th division office.

Hitomi blinked and ran to catch up to Shuuhei. "Why are we having our meeting here?"

Shuuhei smiled. "Close your eyes."

Hitomi gave Shuuhei a funny look before putting her hands over her eyes. She felt Shuuhei put his hand on her shoulder and lead her into the 10th division office. Everything was completely silent around her.

"Happy Birthday, Hitomi-chan!" A chorus of voices shouted.

Hitomi quickly removed her hands and gasped. The 10th division office was decorated with different colored balloons and a giant banner that said 'Happy Birthday'. A multi-layered cake was decorated with white frosting and pink roses on the side. A large table with a pink tablecloth was littered with colorfully wrapped presents. Hitomi squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. She grinned when she saw Hitsugaya. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Hitsugaya casually nodded towards Hitomi. "Thank Matsumoto. It was her idea."

Hitomi ran over to Matsumoto, giggling happily when Matsumoto lifted her up into the air and twirled her around. "Thank you!"

Hitomi spent the rest of the party wandering through the large group of people. She smiled at everyone but frowned when she realized something; Rukia was nowhere to be found. She moved through the group of people and found Renji. She glared up at him and kicked him in the shin.

Renji frowned and looked down at Hitomi. "What the hell was that for?"

Hitomi held his gaze. "Why'd you put Rukia-neechan into prison?"

"You shouldn't concern yourself with that."

"I want Rukia-neechan!"

"Hitomi!" Hitsugaya appeared and grabbed Hitomi. He fixed her with a stern look. He nodded to Renji. "Please continue to enjoy the party. I'm going to have a talk with my 'daughter."

Hitsugaya carried Hitomi into the small kitchen connected to the office. He sat her on the counter. "Hitomi, I know you're upset about Kuchiki-san. You need to be patient. I will talk to the council, okay?"

Hitomi pouted and leaned her head on Hitsugaya's shoulder. "I don't want Rukia-neechan to die."

Hitsugaya sighed and wrapped his arms around Hitomi's shoulders. "How about we make some ice cream for the party. I know how much you like to do that."

Hitomi squealed and quickly got down all the supplies needed. She began happily humming. "Want me to sing a song for you, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya smiled softly. "Sure."

"_Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully across my memory."_ Hitomi continued to sing softly as her and Hitsugaya made the ice cream. Her hands began to turn red from the coldness of the ice cream but she still had a smile on her face. It was rare for Hitsugaya to ever willingly to something like this with her.

Soon, the ice cream was finished and Hitsugaya helped Hitomi put the ice cream into bowls for everyone. Hitomi skipped happily out of the room, carrying multiple bowls in her arms, Hitsugaya close behind her. The party continued with Hitomi blowing out her candles and opening all her presents. The party lasted until the sun began to set. Everyone slowly left, all wishing Hitomi a happy birthday.

Tousen paused as he left. "Please return Hitomi before tomorrow, Hitsugaya-taicho."

Hitsugaya nodded his head. "I will be sure she is back before midnight."

Hitomi blinked and looked at Hitsugaya curiously. "What's going on, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya took Hitomi's hand and led her into a large garden in the back of the office. At the center of the garden was a large lake. Hitsugaya let go of Hitomi's hand and went over to the lake. He unsheathed his Zanpaktou and muttered a few words under his breath.

Hitomi gasped as the lake was frozen over. She ran over to the edge and looked up at Hitsugaya. "What'd you do that for, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya smiled and took Hitomi's hand, leading her out onto the ice. He chuckled as Hitomi slipped and slid, losing her footing. "Just hold onto my hands."

For the next few hours, Hitsugaya taught Hitomi how to skate on the ice. She fell many times and once she even managed to make Hitsugaya trip. The father and daughter pair spent the rest of the evening laughing and spending time together. The two now sat by the defrosted lake, Hitomi in Hitsugaya's lap.

"I'll take you back to your barracks."

Hitomi nodded her head sleepily, nuzzling against Hitsugaya's shoulder. She barely registered being carried back to her room and being tucked in. She curled up in her bed, falling sound asleep.

A month had passed since Hitomi's birthday. She snuck into the 6th division's holding cells every day to visit Rukia. A few days ago, Rukia had been taken away to the holding tower to await her execution. Hitomi sighed and kicked a pebble in front of her. She was supposed to be patrolling for some ryoka that had just landed somewhere in Soul Society.

"This is my lucky day!"

Hitomi perked up when she heard Ikkaku's voice. She ran around the corner and gasped at what she saw. A boy with bright orange hair and another boy with a strange outfit on stood before Ikkaku and Yumichika. "Who're your friends, Ikkaku-chan?"

The boy with orange hair spun around and gave Hitomi a funny look. "What's a kid doing here?"

Hitomi stomped her foot on the ground. "I'm not a kid! I'm a seated officer!"

Ikkaku growled. "Stay out of the way, Hitomi. This is my opponent. Wait your turn."

Hitomi sighed and plopped down on the ground, curious to see how the fight would go. "I hope he kicks your ass, Ikkaku-chan."

**I know that was super short! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'm kinda struggling with this one so please hang in there! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the 30****th**** to see what happens.**


	6. Operation Save Rukia

**I'm so happy to be back. Plus, it's Shark Week on Discovery Channel . Thank you to everyone for being so patient last week. **

Ikkaku glared at the tiny blue haired shinigami from his position on the ground. "Don't you dare say anything."

Hitomi giggled. "I wasn't going to." Hitomi smiled up at Ichigo. "You're pretty cool, Ryoka-san."

Ichigo blinked. "Um…thanks? No offense, but what's a kid doing in a place like this?"

Hitomi pouted when she heard Ikkaku laughing. "I'm not a kid! I'm the 14th seat of the 9th squad, Hitomi."

"I said no offense. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo turned his attention back to Ikkaku. "Where is Rukia?"

Hitomi perked up at the sound of Rukia's name. "You know Rukia-neechan?"

"Yeah, I'm here to save her."

Ikkaku began laughing again and Hitomi kicked him in his side, laughing when his wounds reopened. Ikkaku told Ichigo how to get to the tower where Rukia was held. "There's one thing I want to ask you before you leave."

"What?"

"Out of your group, who is the strongest?"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "I guess me."

"Then you better watch out for my captain, Zaraki Kenpachi. He'll come after you."

Hitomi walked over to Ichigo and tugged on his shinigami robes. "I want to go with you."

"Are you crazy!?" Ikkaku screeched. "Your father will kill you!"

Hitomi shrugged. "I want to save Rukia-neechan." She looked back up at Ichigo. "So, can I come with you?"

"I don't think it's a good idea for a kid like you to come. It's dangerous."

"I can help lead you to the tower. Besides, if you say no, I'll scream and everyone will know where you are."

Ichigo groaned. "You're gonna be a pain in the ass, aren't you?"

Hitomi smiled. "I try." Hitomi followed Ichigo through the long corridors that went through Soul Society. "So how do you know Rukia-neechan?"

Ichigo looked down at the small shinigami. "Isn't this like treason or something? What's your father going to think?"

Hitomi smiled sadly. "It doesn't matter. I'm just a headache to my father. Rukia-neechan is the only one that ever really plays with me."

The two traveled in silence before Ichigo became annoyed. "Where is Ganju?" He took a deep breath and began screaming. "Where are you Ganju!?"

Hitomi tugged on Ichigo's sleeve. "Um, Kurosaki-chan, that probably wasn't the brightest idea."

Ichigo looked down one of the corridors and saw a group of shinigami staring at him. Quickly, he picked Hitomi up under his arm and began sprinting away. He gave Hitomi a panicked look when she began laughing. "This isn't funny!"

Hitomi looked up and pointed excitedly. "Isn't that your friend?"

Sure enough, Ganju was running straight towards them. Ichigo began waving frantically at Ganju, ignoring the large group of shinigami behind him. Ichigo quickly dropped Hitomi onto the ground. "Don't move."

Hitomi watched in awe as both Ichigo and Ganju took out a large number of the 11th squad shinigami. She clapped her hands together happily. "This is so cool!"

"You kidnapped a shinigami kid!?" Ganju screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Hitomi.

Hitomi growled and kicked Ganju in his shin. "I'm not a kid!"

Ichigo sighed. "Ganju this is Hitomi. Hitomi this is Ganju. Now play nice you two."

Hitomi and Ganju were busy having a glaring war, both refusing to back down. Hitomi's focus was broken when a shinigami fell in front of them. She quickly tackled the poor shinigami, hugging him tightly. "Hana-chan!"

Ichigo quickly yanked Hanataro up to his feet and held his Zanpaktou to Hanataro's neck. "You all better get out of the way or I'll kill your friend!"

"Are you stupid or something, Kurosaki-chan?" Hitomi sighed at Ichigo and Ganju's confused looks. "Those oafs are from the 11th squad, the combat squad of Soul Society. Hana-chan is from the 4th squad, the healing squad. The 11th squad hate the 4th squad."

"Yeah, go ahead and kill him!" The group of 11th squad members began shouting.

There was a large blast and a cloud of smoke distracted half of the group. Ichigo used this opportunity to grab Hitomi while Ganju grabbed Hanataro and the group made a run for it.

"Let's hide in there." Hitomi pointed to a large storage shed. Ichigo gently put Hitomi onto the ground while Ganju threw Hanataro off his shoulder. Hitomi squealed and ran over to Hanataro, giving him another hug.

Hanataro laughed nervously. "Hello, Hitomi-chan. Were you taken hostage too?"

"Nope. I wanted to come with them."

Hanataro looked up at Ichigo and Ganju. "Oh, my name is Yamada Hanataro."

Ichigo and Ganju looked up from their map. "You're still here?" The two began arguing over what to do and Ichigo mentioned Rukia's name.

Hanataro looked at Hitomi. "Are they talking about Kuchiki Rukia?" Hanataro was startled when Ichigo whirled around. "Oh, you were. So, the white tower you were talking about is the Senzaikyu." He hesitated, looking questioningly at Hitomi.

Hitomi smiled encouragingly. "It's okay, Hana-chan."

"I know a secret way to the tower."

Hanataro led the group down into the sewers of Soul Society. Hitomi yawned sleepily while the group talked. She tugged on Ichigo's sleeve.

"What?"

"Will you carry me? It's my naptime."

Ichigo rolled his eyes but put Hitomi on his back. "That okay?"

Hitomi smiled and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Kurosaki-chan."

Ganju looked at Hanataro and motioned towards Hitomi. "So, what's with the little kid? Aren't her parents worried about her being a shinigami?"

Hanataro laughed nervously. "Well, you see, Hitomi-chan's only parent is the captain of the 10th division. He's not really her father, though. They found her in a box and the 1st division captain decided to let her stay because of her spiritual energy."

Ichigo blinked. "She was in a box?"

"Yup." Hitomi opened her eyes. "Daddy lost the straw drawing so he got stuck with me." Her cheeks puffed out indignantly. "And everyone always picks on me because of my hair. They say I look like a piece of the sky."

Ichigo laughed. "I know how you feel."

The group continued on until Hanataro led them up a ladder and back outside. Hitomi jumped up and down on her heels excitedly. "That big white tower is where Rukia-neechan is!"

Ichigo and Ganju began running forward until Ichigo stopped. "There's someone there."

Hitomi stood protectively in front of Hanataro. "I don't think Renji-chan is very happy."

**Yay, now Ichigo is stuck with Hitomi-chan! Hopefully she won't drive him completely insane. I'm feeling kinda blah so I'm going to cut this chapter short. Please review and let me know what you think. Positive reviews and constructive criticism only, please.**


	7. Blue and Red

**So, I'm about to have a "family meeting" because of the constant screaming and fighting between my sister and dad. This should be fun. The italics mean a flashback.**

_"Taicho, you need to spend more time with Hitomi-chan." Matsumoto sat on the ground, cooing softly to the small girl in her arms._

_Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "She's fine. You should spend more time doing your paperwork." _

_"Daddy, can we go get ice cream?" Hitomi jumped up from Matsumoto's lap and practically sprinted over to Hitsugaya's desk. Her dark blue kimono was above her knees so she didn't have to worry about tripping on it. She looked at him with her big blue eyes, trying to imitate the way Momo always looked._

_Hitsugaya ignored the small child. "Go away. I'm not your daddy."_

_Hitomi sniffled. "Daddy?"_

_Hitsugaya growled. "I am __**NOT**__ your daddy! The only reason your with me is because I lost that stupid straw drawing!"_

_The small girl stepped away from Hitsugaya and then ran as fast as her tiny feet would carry her out of the office. She ran and ran until she reached the Soukyoku. She looked up at the large wooden poles embedded in the ground. With a determined expression on her face, she began to climb up them._

_"What're you doing up there, Hitomi?"_

_Hitomi looked down and the corners of her mouth slowly twitched up. "Hi, Renji-chan."_

_Renji rolled his eyes at the affectionate term. "Get down from there! You shouldn't be up there unless your being executed!"_

_"Okay." Hitomi stood up and jumped down from the Soukyoku. She giggled as Renji caught her. _

_Renji glared down at her. "Don't do that! You could've hurt yourself!"_

_Hitomi grinned brightly at him. "But I didn't! I knew you'd catch me so I wasn't scared."_

_Renji rolled his eyes again. "One of these days I'm just going to let you fall. What were you doing up there anyways?"_

_Hitomi's smile faded. "Daddy yelled at me again."_

_Renji sighed and put Hitomi up on one of his shoulders. He said nothing and carried her to the 6__th__ division office. He sat down at his desk and began doing paperwork, Hitomi now sitting in his lap._

_Hitomi placed her chin on the desk, still pouting. "Why does Daddy hate me so much?"_

_Renji ruffled her hair absentmindedly. "He doesn't hate you. He's a lot like Kuchiki-taicho; neither of them show their emotions."_

_Hitomi sniffled dejectedly. "He shows anger at me a lot."_

_"He doesn't hate you. Do you really think he'd let you stay if he really hated you?"_

_"He said he lost the straw drawing and that was the only reason he kept me."_

_Renji hit Hitomi gently on the back of her head. "Do you really think a straw would force Hitsugaya-taicho to do something he didn't want to?"_

_Before Hitomi could respond, there was a loud banging at the door. "Abarai, have you seen Hitomi?"_

_Renji grinned down at Hitomi's surprised face. "See, he was worried about you." Renji stood up, holding Hitomi in his arms. He walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a very frazzled looking Hitsugaya. He handed Hitomi over to Hitsugaya. "Here she is, safe and sound."_

_As Hitsugaya carried Hitomi away, Hitomi looked over Hitsugaya's shoulder and smiled brightly at Renji. "Thank you, Renji-chan."_

_Renji grinned and waved at Hitomi, mouthing words of comfort that always made Hitomi smile._

Renji frowned when he saw Hitomi standing beside Ichigo. "What are you doing with the Ryoka, Hitomi?"

Hitomi glared fiercely at Renji. "I'm helping save Rukia-neechan!"

Renji said nothing and slowly walked forward. He kept his gaze on Ichigo. "So, you're trying to take Blue from us too."

Ganju blinked and gave Hitomi a curious look. "Who is Blue?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Me. It's a stupid nickname that 11th company came up with for me."

Ichigo began advancing forward. "She wanted to come with me. I tried to tell her to go away."

Renji began walking faster. "That's a lie. You're going to pay for everything you've done." Renji drew his sword.

Ichigo mimicked Renji's actions. "You're the one that brought Rukia back just so you could kill her."

Hitomi winced as Ichigo and Renji's swords clashed. She took a few steps back and held tightly to Hanataro's hand. She looked up at Ganju's shaking form and smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay."

Ganju looked at Hitomi like she was crazy. "How can you say something like that?! Ichigo is fighting an assistant captain! There's no way he can win!"

Hanataro shook his head firmly. "No, Hitomi-chan is right. Look, Ichigo is pushing Abarai-fukutaicho back."

Hitomi grinned. "I told you everything would be okay."

Ganju frowned. "How do you know? This is only the beginning of the battle."

Hitomi's blue eyes never left the fight in front of her and her smile saddened. "Red always told me that when I was sad and he was always right. Everything was always okay in the end. That's how I know."

"Who the hell is Red?"

Hitomi turned her gaze up to Ganju. "Abarai Renji."

The group was startled when Ichigo was flung into the wall right beside them. Hitomi ran over to the large hole in the wall and peeked in. "Are you okay, Kurosaki-chan?"

Ichigo walked back out of the wall, blood dripping down his face. He grinned down at Hitomi. "Never better."

"Hitomi, get out of the way!"

Hitomi squeaked when Ichigo pushed her back over to Hanataro. She watched as Ichigo and Renji continued their fight, destroying many buildings in the process. "Kick his ass, Kurosaki-chan!"

"You're fine with telling him to beat your friend?" Ganju asked.

Hitomi smiled up at Ganju again. "That's the way Renji is. If you want to get your point across to him, you have to beat it into him."

"Ichigo!"

Ganju and Hitomi looked up in time to see Renji's sword flying toward a wounded Ichigo. What shocked them even more was when Ichigo not only caught Renji's sword, but also managed to grievously wound Renji, winning the fight.

Hitomi winced at Renji's bloodcurdling scream. She slowly walked over to Renji and Ichigo. She helped Ichigo lay Renji on the ground. She leaned over Renji and smiled warmly at him.

Renji smiled weakly back and placed his hand on the top of Hitomi's head. "You're going to help Ichigo save Rukia, right, Blue?"

Hitomi nodded her head quickly. "Of course." She took a small dark blue ribbon from her hair and tied it around Renji's wrist. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay, Red."

**I actually really like this chapter. Maybe it's because Renji was in it . As always, let me know what you thought!**


	8. I'm So Sorry Daddy

**So I've been playing Eternal Sonata for the past four hours. That game is insanely addictive. I feel like such a nerd though, 'cause I get all the musical references. Stupid band….anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I'm so sorry that this is a day late! I was playing Eternal Sonata and I fell asleep playing it! Please forgive me!**

"You should rest, Hitomi-chan." Hanataro smiled reassuringly at the worried child. "I promise you, I'll heal Ichigo-san."

Hitomi pouted. "But I want to watch."

Ganju rolled his eyes. "Would you just go to sleep. I'm not dealing with you being a whiny brat just 'cause you didn't take a nap."

Hitomi stuck her tongue out. "I am not a whiny brat, you oversized orangutan."

Hanataro began to panic, sensing a fight brewing. "Please go to sleep, Hitomi-chan. You'll need all your strength to help save Rukia-san."

Hitomi opened her mouth to retort but then closed it. She blew a stray strand of blue hair from her face. "Fine." She curled up beside Ichigo and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

"Ganju-san!"

Hitomi sat up in time to see Ichigo flying backwards into Hanataro. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and sat up. "Is Kurosaki-san okay?"

Hanataro sighed. "There's another wound now."

"I'm going to go for a walk." Hitomi wandered away from the group, looking for a way out of the sewers. She finally found an exit and quickly climbed out of the sewers. She took a deep breath and sighed happily, glad to smell fresh air again.

"Blue-chan!"

Hitomi spun around in time to be tackled by a pink blur. She giggled happily. "Hi, Pink-chan."

"What are you doing out here, Hitomi?" Kenpachi walked over to the two girls. "Everyone's been looking for you."

Hitomi laughed nervously. "Well, I've just been keeping myself busy. I don't want to get in anyone's way."

Kenpachi smirked. "So, are you still helping that Ryoka boy?"

Hitomi quickly shook her head. "What are you talking about, Kenpachi-chan? I would never do something like that."

Kenpachi laughed. "Don't lie. Ikkaku told me that you ran off with that Ryoka boy. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone where you are. So," Kenpachi looked around the area curiously. "where is the Ryoka?"

Hitomi bit her lip. "He's resting right now."

Kenpachi sighed. "Well, I guess I'll go wait for him." He began walking towards the steps that led to Senzaikyu. "Let's go, Yachiru."

Yachiru hugged Hitomi tightly. "I'll see you later, Blue-chan!"

Hitomi watched the two disappear and sighed. "I wonder what Daddy would say if he knew I was helping Kurosaki-san?"

"Ah, there you are." Ichigo poked his head out of the sewer's entrance. "We were wondering where you had run off to."

Hitomi smiled at Ichigo. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san. I didn't mean to make any of you worry."

Ichigo shrugged. "Just be more careful next time." He grinned at her. "Ready to go save Rukia?"

"Yes sir!" Hitomi grinned back.

The four ran up the stairs with Ichigo in the lead and Hitomi close on his heels. Ganju was slightly behind her and Hanataro was trailing at the back. Hitomi looked over her shoulder and frowned. "Hurry, Hana-chan! We've gotta save Rukia-neechan."

They reached the top of the stairs and all of them felt an amazing amount of spiritual pressure pushing down on them. Hitomi tugged urgently on Ichigo's hand. "We need to get out of here now!"

The group continued running, trying to escape the spiritual pressure. Ichigo frowned and looked down at Hitomi. "Why aren't we getting away from this guy?"

Hitomi sighed and ran beside Ichigo. "He's really strong and he's looking for the strongest person in our group. He won't leave us alone until he gets what he wants."

"Well what the hell does he want!?" Ichigo shouted furiously.

"He wants to fight."

The group looked up on top of one of the buildings and there Kenpachi sat, smirking at the group. He suddenly disappeared and stood behind Ichigo. "You're Kurosaki Ichigo, aren't you?"

Ichigo growled and turned around. "How do you know who I am and who the hell are you?"

Kenpachi frowned down at Hitomi. "You didn't tell him I was looking for him?"

Hitomi huffed. "I didn't think you'd stop us here of all places. I thought you might be nice enough to let us save Rukia-neechan first."

Kenpachi laughed loudly. "You've known me long enough to know better, Hitomi." He turned his gaze back to Ichigo. "I'm the captain of the 11th company, Zaraki Kenpachi."

"Ah, Blue-chan, the guy behind you is drooling!" Yachiru shouted, poking her head out from behind Kenpachi's head. She appeared suddenly on Ichigo's shoulder. "He must be really scared of Ken-chan."

Ichigo quickly lashed out, forcing Yachiru off his arm. He looked down at Hitomi. "You know these people?!"

Yachiru pouted. "Blue-chan, your friend doesn't like me."

Hitomi giggled. "Yes, Kurosaki-san, I know them. Yachiru-chan is my best friend and Kenpachi-chan is…well, he's Kenpachi-chan." She turned her focus to Yachiru. "You startled him Pink-chan, so of course he's upset."

Yachiru skipped over and tugged on Hitomi's hand. "Come sit with me. We can watch the fight."

Hitomi gave Ichigo a worried look. "Please don't get killed, Kurosaki-san."

The two girls sat against a wall and watched as Ichigo tried to cut Kenpachi but ended up getting hurt. Yachiru smiled at Hitomi. "Ken-chan is gonna beat your Ryoka."

Hitomi stuck her tongue out. "No way! Kurosaki-san is really strong! He won't lose."

The two girls continued watching in silence for a few moments. Yachiru was the one to break the silence again. "Hitsugaya-chan is worried about you. He's been looking everywhere for you."

Hitomi sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. "He's gonna be so mad at me." She looked up to see the destruction Ichigo and Kenpachi were causing. "Maybe we should move somewhere out of the way."

Yachiru and Hitomi hopped up onto one of the buildings and continued watching the fight. Yachiru giggled happily. "Ken-chan is having fun."

Hitomi smiled. "Is Ikkaku-chan okay?"

"Yeah, he and Yumichika are resting at the 4th squad infirmary." Yachiru giggled. "Looks like it's all over for your Ryoka."

Hitomi grinned. "Nah, he won't be beat that easily."

Yachiru's eyes widened at the sudden force of Ichigo's spiritual pressure. She glanced over at Hitomi.

Hitomi simply continued grinning. "I told you."

"Yachiru-fukutaicho, I have an urgent message to deliver to you!"

Yachiru didn't even turn around. "Tell me later."

The messenger blinked. "But, I was given direct orders to deliver this message to all captains and vice-captains immediately!" His gaze turned to Hitomi. "Hitomi-san, what are you doing here? You need to report to Kaname-taicho now!"

Yachiru growled and turned around. "Shut up! You're interrupting Ken-chan's fight!"

The messenger whimpered and quickly disappeared. The two girls watched in awe as the two men stabbed each other. Ichigo fell first and then Kenpachi. The two girls hopped down and inspected the bloody scene before them. Hitomi knelt beside Ichigo and brushed some hair out of his eyes.

Yachiru walked over and bowed to Ichigo. "Thank you so much for playing with Ken-chan! It's been so long since I've seen him that happy!" She pulled Kenpachi over her shoulder and smiled at Hitomi. "Make sure he doesn't die, Blue-chan. He needs to play with Ken-chan again."

Hitomi watched Yachiru leap away. She knelt beside Ichigo, twisting her hands nervously. "What should I do?"

"Who are you?"

Hitomi looked up and saw a black cat walking towards them. "I'm Hitomi. Who are you?"

The cat ignored her and walked over to Ichigo. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay here, Hitomi-san. Thank you for helping Ichigo."

Hitomi watched the cat disappear with Ichigo. She sighed and looked around. She was all alone again.

"What are you doing here, Hitomi?"

Hitomi gasped when she saw Byakuya coming towards her. "Byakuya-taicho…"

He glared down at her. "I'll ask you again; what are you doing here?"

Hitomi bit her lip. "I was just wandering around."

"You've been helping the Ryoka. For that, you are under arrest."

Hitomi didn't even struggle as she felt her arms bound behind her back. She kept her head down, even when she felt Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure pass by her.

"What are you doing with Hitomi!?" Hitsugaya cried out angrily. "Who authorized this?!"

"Byakuya-taicho has ordered that Hitomi be imprisoned due to her treasonous actions." The shinigami replied.

Hitsugaya snarled. "This is ridiculous! I order you to let her go! What treason has she committed!?"

"She has been aiding the Ryoka in their mission."

Hitsugaya turned his shocked eyes to Hitomi. "Is that true, Hitomi?"

Hitomi finally looked up at Hitsugaya, her eyes brimming with tears. "Yes."

Hitsugaya turned his back. "You may take her away."

Hitomi allowed the tears to fall from her eyes as she watched Hitsugaya walk away from her. She knew now that he hated her. He had always forgiven her for her pranks. He had told her he was proud of her for being one of the youngest shinigami. Now, though, she knew he hated her and would never forgive her. She had betrayed his trust and knew she would never gain it back. She bowed her head and let her hair fall in her face as the tears continued to fall freely. "I'm so sorry, Daddy!"

**Aw, poor Hitomi got arrested! Will she be able to break out? Will she ever gain her father's trust and love back? Does Hitsugaya really hate her now? You'll have to wait until next Wednesday to find out. Leave your awesome reviews and let me know what you thought.**


	9. Prisoner

**1****st**** graders are evil! Evil I say! I don't think I've ever had to yell so much in my life. Because of them, I've switched my major from elementary education to interdisciplinary so I'll be certified for 4****th****-8****th**** grade. **

**I don't know if any of you have heard the song 'Love for a Child' by Jason Mraz but it totally makes me think of all my babies! It's so sad!**

Hitomi winced as she was shoved into a cell. She looked down sadly at her cuffed hands and began crying. "I want my daddy!"

"Who are you?"

Hitomi wiped her tears away and looked at the bed across from her. A very tall boy was sitting on the bottom bed, staring at her. She returned the stare. "I'm Hitomi. Who are you?"

"I'm Yasutora Sado but you can call me Chad."

Hitomi sat next Chad and smiled him. "Are you one of the Kurosaki-san's friends?"

Chad blinked at the girl. "You know Ichigo?"

Before Hitomi could respond, another boy was carried into the cell on a stretcher. Hitomi stared at the boy for a moment and then shrieked. "What happened to you, Ganju!? You're all covered up in bandages!"

Ganju groaned. "Not so loud. I just got my ass kicked by the Kuchiki guy."

Hitomi's face fell. "So, you didn't save Rukia-neechan?"

Ganju growled. "No."

Hitomi pouted. "What about Kurosaki-san?"

"Hell if I know."

Hitomi sighed and kicked her legs idly on the edge of the bed. She snuggled up next to Chad. "So, how are we going to get out of here?"

Chad looked down at her. "You're a shinigami. Won't you get in trouble for helping us?"

Hitomi lowered her head. "It doesn't matter. Daddy hates me now so I don't care anymore. I just want to save Rukia-neechan."

"Sir, you can't be here!"

Hitomi, Chad, and Ganju all looked up to see an apathetic Hitsugaya standing in front of the bars. Hitsugaya glared over at the stuttering shinigami guard. "I want to talk to Hitomi-san."

Hitomi's heart plummeted into her chest at the formal way Hitsugaya said her name. "Daddy?"

Hitsugaya turned his glare to Hitomi. "I'm not your father. As far as I'm concerned, you are nothing to me. The Hitomi I raised would have never betrayed Soul Society."

Hitomi's eyes began watering. "Daddy, what they're doing is wrong! Rukia-neechan didn't do anything wrong!"

Hitsugaya frowned and turned his steely gaze to Chad. "So, were you the one that killed Aizen?"

Hitomi gasped. "Aizen-san is dead?"

Hitsugaya didn't even look at her. "Yes. If you hadn't betrayed us, you would have known that."

Chad stood up and picked Hitomi up, cradling the clearly distraught girl close to his chest. "I didn't kill this Aizen person nor did any of my companions. You should apologize to Hitomi-chan. She's just a kid."

Hitsugaya frowned and turned on his heels, not even giving Hitomi a second glance. Chad was not prepared for what happened next. Hitomi began screaming at the top of her lungs and trying to wriggle out of Chad's grip. She reached her arms out and continued crying.

"Daddy, come back! I'm sorry, Daddy! Don't hate me, Daddy!"

Chad held Hitomi closer, trying to keep her from falling from his grip. "Please calm down, Hitomi-san."

"Daddy!"

Chad carefully walked backwards and sat on the small bed, holding Hitomi close to him. "Hitomi-san, I need you to take a deep breath."

Hitomi obeyed but the tears continued to flow. "I want Daddy!"

Chad wiped the tears from Hitomi's eyes and rocked back and forth with her. "I know."

Hitomi finally fell into a fitful sleep in Chad's arms. She wasn't sure how much later it was when she awoke but when she did, another boy was in the cell. His arms were bandaged up and he was staring curiously at her. Hitomi rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Who are you?"

The boy adjusted his glasses. "My name is Ishida Uryuu. Who are you?"

"I'm Hitomi." She stared curiously at the strange outfit Ishida wore. She hopped out of Chad's arms and went over to Ishida. She yanked the cape off from around his shoulders. She wrapped it around her body and began running around the tiny cell. "I'm a superhero!"

The three boys chuckled as they watched Hitomi run around. Despite how cramped the cell was and the fact they were all injured, they kept their spirits high and knew that they would escape and help Ichigo save Rukia.

**Blah, I don't care much for that ending but I'm not feeling that great so, I'm sorry it was so short. Please let me know what you thought.**


	10. Breakout

**The new season of America's Next Top Model has officially started!! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**I just want to clear up why Hitsugaya was acting so coldly because a few people mentioned it in their reviews. He's hurt because he feels that Hitomi, his daughter for all practical purposes, has betrayed Soul Society and him. The only way I could personally see Hitsugaya dealing with something like that is by shutting down and acting coldly towards the person who betrayed him. Trust me though, he's going to regret his last words to Hitomi very soon.**

"Ah, look at the butterfly, Hitomi-chan." Ishida said, smiling at the small butterfly that flew into the cell.

Hitomi hopped off the small bunk bed and began chasing the butterfly around the cell. She giggled when she finally caught it and brought it over to Ishida. She opened her hand out so that the butterfly flew in Ishida's face.

"Aw, you two seem to be getting along pretty well." Ganju teased. "You like the younger ones, Uryuu."

Ishida glared. "Why don't you shut up, Ganju!"

"Oh, that's a great comeback."

Hitomi sat by Chad. She smiled at him. "They're both really immature."

Chad nodded. He looked around and held his hand up. "Does anyone hear that?"

The group fell silent, listening closely. Hitomi's face broke into a grin. "We're saved!"

Before the boys could ask what she was talking about, the ceiling above them broke. Ganju began to panic. "It's Kenpachi and the weird sissy guy!"

Hitomi giggled and waved her arms excitedly. "Hi Ikkaku-chan!" She blinked when a girl with orange hair appeared from behind Kenpachi. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Inoue Orihime. Who are you?"

"I'm Hitomi. Are you another friend of Kurosaki-san's?"

Inoue squealed and hugged Hitomi. "You know Kurosaki-kun!?"

Yachiru hopped down from Kenpachi's shoulder. "Hi Blue-chan!"

Hitomi smiled and managed to wriggle an arm loose from Orihime's grip, waving. "Hi Pink-chan!"

Kenpachi sighed. "It's time to go."

"I'll lead the way!" Yachiru volunteered.

Hitomi sighed. "This could take awhile."

* * *

Hitomi was perched on Chad's shoulder, rolling her eyes. "I told you we were going the wrong way."

Yachiru puffed her cheeks out at Hitomi. "Shut up, Blue-chan!"

Kenpachi sighed. "Why don't you all come out from hiding? It's very cowardly to stalk people."

"I'm very disappointed in you, Hitomi."

Hitomi winced. "Tousen-taicho…."

On top of one of the roofs stood Tousen, Shuuhei, Komamura, and Iba. Tousen glared down at Hitomi. "Hitsugaya raised you better than this. Why have you betrayed us?"

Hitomi frowned. "Because you're wrong! Rukia-neechan hasn't done anything wrong!"

Shuuhei frowned down at Hitomi. "It's not too late, Hitomi. You can still help us."

Chad adjusted Hitomi on his shoulders. He patted her head affectionately. "Don't listen to him."

Hitomi jumped down from Chad's shoulder and looked up sadly. "I'm sorry, Shuuhei. I have to help save Rukia."

Kenpachi laughed. "I'll take care of these four wimps. The rest of you get out of here."

Yachiru grabbed Hitomi's hand. "Blue-chan and I will lead the way! Let's go everyone!"

Hitomi grabbed Orihime's hand as she was dragged by Yachiru. She looked behind her to see that Ishida, Chad, and Ganju were following. She looked back up at Yachiru. "Ikkaku-chan and Yumichika-chan are staying behind."

Yachiru laughed. "They'll be okay."

**I know this one is unbelievably short but next weeks chapter is going to be ridiculously long so please forgive this ones shortness. I must go now due to the fact the hamsters are screaming for cheese and lettuce.**


	11. Enveloped in Darkness

**So, I'm pretty sure one of the kids in my class is a slight sociopath. There's just something not right about her….**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!!**

"Blue-chan and I are going to go ahead of you guys!" Yachiru cried out excitedly. She grinned broadly at the group behind her.

Orihime faltered, looking at the two small girls. "Isn't that dangerous?"

Hitomi giggled. "We'll be okay." She grinned at Yachiru. "Let's go!"

The two young shinigami ran off towards the Soukyoku. They were silent as they ran, both concentrating on not getting lost. Yachiru finally turned her head towards Hitomi. "You remember what to do?"

Hitomi nodded determinedly. "Yes." She watched as Yachiru ran back in the direction where Kenpachi was. Hitomi continued to run forward, bound and determined to reach the Soukyoku.

"Well, what are ya doin' out of your cell, Hitomi?"

Hitomi quickly leapt to the side, glaring furiously at the silver haired captain. "Don't try and stop me, Gin. I'm going to save Rukia-neesan."

Gin laughed and walked over to her. He didn't even flinch when she drew her Zanpaktou. "Unfortunately, you won't be savin' her. You need to come with me."

Hitomi growled and held her sword in front of her. "Tobikau…" Hitomi's eyes widened and then her world went black.

"Wake up, Hitomi-chan."

Hitomi groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked, trying to force the face of the person holding her into focus. "Who are you?"

The person laughed. "Surely you remember me, Hitomi-chan. It hasn't been that long since we've seen each other."

Hitomi's eyes widened as the person's face became clear. "Aizen-san! Daddy said you were dead!"

Aizen laughed again. "Well, as you can see, I'm very much alive."

Hitomi immediately pushed herself out of Aizen's arms and landed shakily on the ground. "Aizen-san, we've got to save Rukia-neesan! I was on my way to save her but Gin attacked me!"

Aizen knelt down to Hitomi's level and hugged her tightly, shushing her. "We'll go save her, don't worry. Right now though, I need you to stay here with me and be a good girl."

Hitomi looked dubiously at Aizen. "What are you talking about? There's not much time to save Rukia-neesan!"

Aizen placed a finger on Hitomi's lips. "We need to go meet Gin and Hinamori now."

Hitomi began struggling against Aizen's grip but she knew it was futile. She finally stopped struggling and went limp, allowing Aizen to drag her where he wished. She frowned as they paused outside an open door. Hitomi frowned as Aizen forced her to sit against the wall.

"Please wait here, Hitomi-chan. I'll retrieve you shortly."

Hitomi sighed and did as she was told, knowing if she tried to escape, Aizen would just chase her down with little effort. She could hear Hinamori's voice inside the room and frowned. Was Hinamori in on what was going on? That thought was quickly dashed from her mind when she heard the sound of a sword piercing flesh. Hitomi ran into the room and her blue eyes widened in horror. "You killed Hinamori-san! Why!?"

Aizen smiled eerily and stroked Hitomi's blue hair. "You'll understand everything soon, Hitomi-hime. It's time to go now."

Hitomi's gaze averted over to where Gin was chuckling. "You and Gin are working together!?" She began screaming as Aizen grabbed her arm. "Let me go!"

"Aizen!?"

Hitomi hadn't realized she was crying until she heard Hitsugaya's voice. "Daddy!"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. "What are you doing with Hitomi!? How can you really be Aizen!?"

Hitomi continued sobbing. "Daddy, Aizen killed Hinamori-san!"

Hitsugaya ran past Gin and Aizen and into the dark room behind them. He turned back to Aizen furiously. "What is the meaning of this!?"

Aizen smirked. "Unfortunately, Hitsugaya-taicho, I'm a bit behind schedule right now and I have no time to explain everything to you. I'll be taking Hitomi-hime with me of course."

Hitsugaya growled. "Let Hitomi go!"

Hitomi continued crying as Gin picked her up. She kicked furiously at the air. "Leave Daddy alone!"

Hitsugaya took on a defensive pose. "How long have you been deceiving everyone!?"

"It's not my fault that none of you could see my true face." Aizen retorted.

"Hinamori admired you! You're the reason she joined the Gotei 13!"

Aizen laughed. "You know, admiration is the furthest thing from understanding."

Gin quickly leapt out of the way to avoid Hitsugaya's attack. "You should be careful, Hitsugaya-taicho. You might hurt Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi's tears finally stopped flowing. She stared in awe at Hitsugaya's bankai. She grinned triumphantly up at Gin. "Daddy is gonna kick both your asses!"

Gin smirked. "You might want to cover your eyes, Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi opened her mouth to respond but instead screamed in terror. She watched as blood spurted out of Hitsugaya. "Daddy!" She bit Gin's hand and ran over to Hitsugaya. She collapsed beside him, her tears starting anew. She shook his shoulders. "Daddy, wake up! Daddy, get up! Don't die!"

Aizen walked over and picked Hitomi up, holding her under his arm. He smiled at Gin. "It's time to go, Gin."

Hitomi struggled and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, Hitomi-hime, but I can't do that. You see, you're very important for my plans, Little Sky Princess."

"You should put Hitomi-chan down, Traitor Aizen."

"Please help Daddy, Unohana-neesan!" Hitomi whimpered.

Aizen cradled Hitomi close to his chest and cooed softly to her. "I think you need to take another nap, Hitomi-hime. You're getting very cranky."

Unohana frowned as she watched Hitomi go limp. "What are you planning to do with her?"

Aizen smiled and rocked the unconscious Hitomi back and forth in his arms. "Hitomi has always been a very special girl to me. When she was a little baby, she would never let me hold her. She was the only one that was able to see my true face. That of course faded over time since her dear father always scolded her for being rude to me." He moved a few strands of light blue hair from Hitomi's face. "Didn't you ever wonder how such a tiny baby ended up in a box?"

Unohana remained motionless. "It's not uncommon for children to be abandoned in the higher number districts."

Aizen shook his head at Unohana. "Hitomi is a unique girl. She is the key to all my dreams becoming a reality." He smiled warmly at Unohana as he and Gin were wrapped engulfed by strange white ribbons. "Goodbye, Unohana-taicho. We'll never see each other again."

Aizen and Gin landed on the Soukyoku hill. Aizen held Hitomi up in the air, smiling at her sleeping face. "It's time to wake up, Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi slowly opened her eyes and glared at Aizen. "Where's Daddy!?"

Aizen put Hitomi on the ground. "Now, no running away, Hitomi-hime. If you do, I'll make sure everyone you love dies a slow and horrible death." He turned his attention to a stunned Renji. "Please put Kuchiki down and step aside, Abarai-kun."

Renji looked over, his eyes wide. "Aizen!?" His gaze flicked over to Hitomi. "What's going on, Blue?"

Hitomi whimpered. "Get out of here, Renji! Aizen's a bad person! Get Rukia-neesan out of here!"

Rukia looked over at the terrified girl. "What are you doing here, Hitomi?"

"I don't have much of a choice. Aizen won't let me go."

Aizen knelt behind Hitomi, holding her shoulders in his hands. "Hitomi-hime is coming with me. However, I need you to put Kuchiki Rukia down."

Renji snarled and held Rukia close. "I refuse."

Aizen sighed. "Well, I suppose you may hold onto her. Your arms can stay holding her while your body moves aside."

"Red!" Hitomi cried out as Aizen attacked Renji. She bit back a scream at the sight of Renji's bloody arms. She stood up and growled when she felt a strong hand push her back down.

Gin patted Hitomi on her head. "You need to stay down, Hitomi-hime. We can't have you getting hurt."

Hitomi moved away from Gin. "Stop calling me that! What do you guys want!?"

Gin cooed softly to her. "Now, now, Hitomi-hime, you need to stay put. We need you to help us create our new world."

"Hey, keep your hands off Hitomi!"

Hitomi's face brightened. "Kurosaki-san!" She grinned at Gin. "You're in trouble now!"

Gin laughed. "Don't be so sure about that, Hitomi-hime. Remember, you thought your daddy was going to be able to stop Aizen."

Hitomi's lower lip quivered. Her gaze hardened. "I'll never forgive you and I'll never help you do anything!"

"Stop upsetting my subordinate."

Hitomi turned her glare to Tousen. "Stay away from me, you lying traitor!"

Tousen kneeled beside Hitomi. "You must understand that everything I'm doing, that Aizen-sama is doing is in the name of justice. You should be honored that Aizen-sama has chosen you to help our cause."

Gin laughed. "Well, Hitomi-hime is rather important to Aizen's plans. It's not like he had much choice."

"Aizen!"

Hitomi's head whipped around and she gasped. "Who's that?"

Tousen smiled. "That is Komamura-taicho. This is your first time seeing his face, isn't it?"

Hitomi stared in awe at the sight before her. She finally managed to find her voice. "Kick his butt, Komamura-san!"

Tousen placed a hand over Hitomi's eyes. "Please do not taint your eyes with this sight, Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi could here screaming and then felt Tousen being yanked away from her. She opened her eyes and looked around, taking in the faces of the Gotei 13.

"Are you okay, Hitomi?"

Hitomi looked up and smiled. "Shuuhei!"

Shuuhei smiled at her. He held his sword against Kaname's throat. "You always manage to get yourself into trouble, Hitomi."

Hitomi laughed sheepishly. "I'm sorry for making you worry." Hitomi flinched when she saw the light envelope Aizen. She looked up at the sky and began shaking. The sky was split by large white hands. Multiple arms and faces of Menos Grande became visible. Hitomi watched as three more streaks of light shot down from the sky. She cried out when one enveloped her.

"Get out of there, Hitomi!" Shuuhei shouted.

"No, Hitomi." Yamamoto said. "You are now no longer within our realm."

Hitomi began crying. "What does that mean?"

Aizen smiled at Hitomi. "It means that you're going with me, Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi sat helplessly on the small piece of ground that was being lifted up as well. "What about Daddy!? Where's Daddy!?"

Gin laughed. "You shouldn't worry about your father anymore. You have more important things to concern yourself with, Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi took one last look at all the shinigami below her. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized that her father was not there. She was certain he was dead. She knew she would never seen any of her friends again. She closed her eyes and let the darkness envelope her.

**Poor little Hitomi got all emotionally scarred. This chapter was originally a lot longer but I decided to split it into two chapters. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought!**


	12. A New Family

**Yay, now the spiffy Espada are going to show up! Hopefully they'll be able to deal with Hitomi-chan.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach so there. **

"Hitomi-hime, it's time to wake up."

Hitomi slowly opened her eyes. She frowned and sat up, taking in her surroundings. She was sitting beside a large white throne-like chair that Aizen was currently occupying. Gin and Tousen were standing on either side of Aizen with Tousen on the side Hitomi was on. She growled at the three men. "Where am I?"

Aizen smirked at her. "You're new home, Hueco Mundo. I want you to meet your new family."

Hitomi blinked as small orbs of light filled the room. She gasped when she realized the room was filled with people. She squeaked as she was picked up from the ground and dropped into Aizen's lap. She struggled against his grip and sighed when she realized she wasn't going anywhere.

Aizen's smirk widened. "My dear Espada, this is the newest addition to our family, Hitomi-hime. I want all of you to treat her well." He caressed Hitomi's cheek lovingly, ignoring her blatant look of disgust. "She is very important to me."

"So, we have to baby-sit a little brat now?"

"Grimmjaw," Aizen said with a smile. "you and Ulquiorra will be the ones to make sure Hitomi-hime has everything she needs to be comfortable and happy."

"Does that mean they'll take me home if I ask them?" Hitomi perked up.

Aizen laughed. "You are home, my dear. This is your new home." He turned his attention back to Grimmjaw. "Please escort Hitomi-hime to her room."

Grimmjaw growled in frustration and hopped down from his perch along the wall. He glared up at the small, blue-haired girl. "Let's go, Chibi Chibi."

Hitomi quickly jumped down from the raised area where Aizen was sitting as soon as his grip loosened. She grabbed onto the angry Espada's baggy pant leg and allowed him to practically drag her out of the room. They walked down the hallway in silence for a moment before Hitomi hesitantly looked up. "So, you're Grimmjaw?"

"No shit, Chibi Chibi." Grimmjaw didn't even bother to look at her.

Hitomi frowned. "What crawled up your butt and died? I didn't do anything to you. If anything, I should be mad at you."

Grimmjaw raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the small child attached to his leg. "How do you figure that?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Well, your boss or whatever kidnapped me and took me away from my home and now he's acting all touchy feely with me. So there."

Grimmjaw felt a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "First of all, that bastard isn't my boss. I'm just tolerating him for now. Second of all, I'm not the one that kidnapped you."

Hitomi thought for a minute. "Well, then neither of us should be mad at each other. We should be mad at Aizen-jerk!"

Grimmjaw actually laughed. "Aizen-jerk? What kind of an insult is that?"

Hitomi flushed in embarrassment. "My daddy says cursing is bad."

"Well, your daddy isn't here now, is he?"

Hitomi's eyes saddened. "No. Aizen killed him."

Grimmjaw stopped in front of a large white door. He pushed it open and ushered Hitomi in. He sighed when he saw the upset look on Hitomi's face. "If you need anything, find me. Stay away from Ulquiorra. He's Aizen's bitch."

Hitomi smiled at Grimmjaw. "Does that mean you're my friend, Grimm?"

Grimmjaw shrugged. "I'm not friends with anybody. But, I'll tolerate you as long as you don't get too annoying." He shut the door behind him.

Hitomi sighed and walked over to the large queen size bed in the center of the room. She climbed onto it and buried her face in the pillows. She closed her eyes and began crying. "Daddy…."

* * *

"Where's Hitomi!?"

Matsumoto quickly ran into the hospital room that her angry taicho was currently occupying. She sighed when she saw the terrified nurse and the broken plate of food. She motioned for the nurse to leave and then plopped herself down in the chair beside the bed. "You need to rest, Taicho."

"Where's Hitomi?" Hitsugaya's eyes were hard.

Matsumoto's eyes saddened and she bowed her head. "Aizen took her. When she was being taken away, all she did was cry and ask for you," Matsumoto frowned at her taicho. "despite all the horrible things you said to her."

Hitsugaya lowered his head and bit his lip. He placed his head in his hand. "I'm a terrible person."

Matsumoto sighed and pulled a sake bottle from her sleeves, holding it out to her taicho. "Drink this, Taicho."

Hitsugaya took the bottle without saying a word and began to chug it down. As the bitter liquid burned down his throat, he made a silent vow. He swore he would bring Hitomi back and never let anyone take her away ever again.

* * *

"Hitomi-hime, please put the uniform on." Ulquiorra stood beside the bed, holding a small white uniform in his arms.

Hitomi quickly poked her head out from under the bed. "Never!" She retreated back under the bed.

Ulquiorra took a deep breath. Before Hitomi had arrived, only Grimmjaw could truly get on his nerves. Now though, this child tested his patience everyday.

"Having some trouble there, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra glared up at the owner of the voice. "Do something about her, Luppi. She refuses to come out from under the bed."

Luppi chuckled lightly. In the past few weeks, he had actually grown rather close to the little blue bundle of mischief. He could always convince her to prank Grimmjaw and Grimmjaw could never retaliate against the girl. He also had a sneaking suspicion that the teal haired Espada had a soft spot for the Anti-Aizen girl.

"Hitomi-chan, please put the uniform on." Luppi waltzed over to stand beside the bed.

"I don't want to!" Came Hitomi's muffled reply.

"Why not?" Luppi asked, kneeling down and lifting up the bed skirt.

Hitomi was laying on her stomach, glaring at the light that poured into her dark hiding place. "I like my shinigami uniform."

"How hard is it to get a kid to put on clothes?" Nnoitra leaned casually against the doorframe, grinning. He strode over and kicked the bed frame. "Get your butt out here and put the stupid uniform on."

Hitomi poked her head out long enough to spit on Nnoitra's boots and then she retreated again. "I refuse!"

Eventually, all the Espada, except for Grimmjaw, were crowded into the small room, trying to convince the small shinigami to put the uniform on. Even Stark had been reluctantly dragged in to try and persuade her.

Stark yawned. "This is pointless."

"This is pathetic!" Grimmjaw stormed in. He yanked the uniform from Ulquiorra. "All of you get the hell out of here! I'll deal with the damn brat." He waited impatiently for the group to leave. Once they finally had, he lifted the bed up and glared down at Hitomi. "Out. Now."

Hitomi quickly scrambled out of the way just as Grimmjaw allowed the bed to fall back down. "I'm not putting that stupid thing on."

Grimmjaw growled. "You will put the uniform on. If you don't, I'll let Szayel experiment on you."

Hitomi gasped. She was terrified of the pink haired Espada. "You wouldn't dare. Aizen would be mad at you!"

"Since when have I cared about what Aizen thinks?" He held the uniform out to her. "Look, I'll put it to you this way: it's either this or go around naked."

* * *

"Damnit, get back here, Chibi Chibi!"

Stark yawned and stretched as he walked out of his room and into the hallway. He blinked slowly when he saw a naked Hitomi running towards him with a furious Grimmjaw hot on her trail. He sighed and casually walked back into his room.

"You said I either had to wear the uniform or be naked!" Hitomi pointed out.

"I didn't think you'd really run around naked!"

Luppi was shocked when he found a very naked Hitomi attached to his legs. He knew he should've just stayed in his room. "What's going on?"

Hitomi quickly hid behind Luppi. "He gave me the choice!"

Grimmjaw growled and stopped in front of Luppi. "Would you just put the stupid uniform on!?"

Luppi sighed. "Hitomi-chan, please put the uniform on. Aizen-sama will be very angry with you if you don't. I don't want you to get in trouble."

Hitomi huffed. "Can I still keep my shinigami uniform?"

Luppi smiled. "Of course."

Hitomi reluctantly came out from behind Luppi and allowed Grimmjaw to pick her up. She pouted as he threw her over his shoulder. "Bye, Luppi-chan."

"You're lucky I don't spank you for being such a pain."

Hitomi smacked the back of Grimmjaw's head. "You can't spank me!"

Grimmjaw rolled his eyes. "Somebody needs to. Obviously your father didn't spank you enough." He winced when he felt Hitomi sag in his arm. "Forget it, Chibi Chibi." They had arrived at Hitomi's room. Grimmjaw gently put her down and handed her the white uniform. "Hurry up and get dressed." He waited outside in the hallway.

Hitomi looked forlornly down at the uniform. She reluctantly pulled it on, smoothing out the wrinkles once it was on. It was nice enough, she had to admit. It was a long dress that reached her ankles. The bottom of the dress was outlined with black as was the waist, collar, and ends of the short sleeves. She whimpered softly and flung herself back onto the bed.

"Are you done yet, Chibi Chibi?" Grimmjaw poked his head into the room. He groaned when he saw she was crying. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. "Stop moping about it."

Hitomi glared angrily up at him. "My daddy was killed, you insult him, and you want me to stop moping about it!?" She buried her face back in the pillow and sobbed. "I hate you, Grimm!"

Grimmjaw rolled his eyes and laid down on his back on the bed. "Bad choice of words on my part. Want me to stay with you tonight?"

Hitomi sniffled and peeked out at him. "Will you actually stay?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever, just go to sleep." He closed his eyes, ignoring the weight he felt against his side. He opened one eye and saw Hitomi leaning against him, her eyes shut. He placed his hand absently on her head, patting it gently. After a few minutes, he was sure she was sound asleep. He stood up and tucked Hitomi in her bed. Grimmjaw picked her shinigami uniform up off the ground and placed it beside the sleeping girl, frowning as he watched her snuggle with it like a blanket. He walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

**So, the scene with Hitsugaya was supposed to be funny, like him getting drunk and stuff. Unfortunately, my music decided not to cooperate and there was a sad song on at that point and I couldn't bring myself to write anything funny. Hopefully it was still an okay chapter. Let me know what you thought!**


	13. My Snow White Queen

**Mei-chan feels all blah but Sakura-chan won't let me sleep and people are annoying me on face book. **

"Hitomi-hime, I have something I want to show you." Aizen walked into the sleeping girl's room, walking over to her bed and making himself comfortable on the edge of her bed.

Hitomi's eyes shot open the minute she felt Aizen sit down. She shot out of her bed and pressed herself against the wall. "What?"

Aizen smiled at Hitomi and walked over, kneeling down in front of the cautious shinigami. He gently stroked Hitomi's hair and then moved down to caress her cheek. "Come with me." He stood up and walked out of Hitomi's room, smirking when he heard her tiny footsteps behind him. "You can walk beside me."

"You better not touch me." Hitomi ran to catch up with Aizen, keeping herself pressed against the hallway wall.

Aizen chuckled and scooped Hitomi up into his arms, smirking at her startled face. He held her chin firmly in his hand and forced her to look up at him. He kissed her forehead almost affectionately. "My dear Hitomi-hime, I can touch you whenever I so choose and you can do nothing about it. You belong to me now."

Hitomi felt herself trembling under Aizen's intense gaze but she kept her angry glare up. "I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone."

"Believe what you wish, Hitomi-hime. I will bend you to my will soon enough. We're here."

Hitomi turned her head away from Aizen and looked into the large dark room where all the Espada were gathered. She blinked. "What is that?" She looked curiously around the large, transparent cube in the center of the room with what appeared to be a mummy inside it.

Aizen placed Hitomi on the ground but kept one arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders, keeping her pressed close to his side. "Yes. I have a new friend I would like for you to meet."

Hitomi watched as Aizen placed the Hougyoku into the cube. She winced as the cube shattered, burying her face in Aizen's pant leg. When she dared to peek up, her bright blue eyes connected with a pair of lavender eyes. The minute Aizen's grip loosened, she moved away from him and stood in front of the boy. She folded her hands against her chest. "My name is Hitsugaya Hitomi. What's yours?"

The boy tilted his head and looked at her curiously. "Wonderwice."

Hitomi smiled and promptly tackled the naked Wonderwice. "It's nice to meet you. Let's be friends!"

Wonderwice blinked at the small girl hugging him. "Hu?"

Aizen pried Hitomi away from Wonderwice. He glanced over at Ulquiorra. "It's time to execute the plan."

Ulquiorra bowed. "Understood."

Hitomi attempted to wriggle away from Aizen's grip, looking pleadingly at Grimmjaw.

Grimmjaw jumped down from his ledge and leaned idly against the wall. "Let me say bye to the kid."

Aizen looked at Grimmjaw out of the corner of his eye before putting Hitomi down. He smirked as he watched Hitomi run over to Grimmjaw. "Do be careful with Hitomi-hime, Grimmjaw. I don't want her to get hurt."

Grimmjaw glared at Aizen, hugging Hitomi tightly. He knelt down and whispered in her ear. "Don't let yourself be alone with him."

Hitomi nodded and then released Grimmjaw, running over to Luppi. She hugged him to, whispering her goodbye to him. She waved to Ulquiorra, Yami, and Wonderwice. After all the Espada had left, she realized she was alone in the room with Aizen. She sighed in frustration. Grimmjaw had made her promise not to be alone with him and she had already broken that promise. She tensed when she felt hands on her shoulder.

Aizen rested on his knees, pulling Hitomi to him so her back was pressed to his chest. He smirked when he felt the small girl tense in his arms. "What's wrong, Hitomi-hime?"

Hitomi frowned when she felt Aizen rest his head on top of her head. "I don't like you touching me."

Aizen chuckled, kissing the top of Hitomi's head. "I can't help it. The fact that I've finally got you just makes me so happy. I've wanted you for so long and I finally have you."

Hitomi lowered her head. "What do you want from me? Why'd you kidnap me?"

Aizen tilted Hitomi's head up smiling down at her upset face. He wiped the tears falling down her cheeks. "All will be revealed to you when the time is right." He kissed the bridge of her nose. "Now, go play until our guest arrives."

Hitomi bolted out of the room the minute Aizen released her. She ran and ran, not paying attention to where she was going. When she finally stopped, she realized she was lost. She leaned against the huge white wall and slid down, crying.

"What are you doing here, Aoi-chan?"

Hitomi wiped her tears away and looked up. "I got lost again, Stark."

Stark sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He bent down and tenderly scooped Hitomi up into his arms. He carried her to her room, laying her down on her bed. He frowned when he felt Hitomi grabbed his jacket sleeve. "You want me to stay?"

Hitomi sniffled, more tears falling from her eyes. "Please? I…I miss my daddy. I don't want to be alone. When I am, all I see his Aizen killing him."

Stark sighed before flopping down onto the bed, allowing the small girl to lay herself across his chest. "You're quite the nuisance, I hope you know."

Hitomi wiped her tears away and smiled. "Yeah, I know. My daddy used to always tell me that."

* * *

"So, you're Hitomi's daddy." Luppi jeered, leering at the shocked look on Hitsugaya's face. He would make this damn shinigami regret injuring him.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened for a moment, before glaring furiously at Luppi. "What did you do with Hitomi!?"

Luppi cackled. "Oh, you don't want to know the things she's had to endure. It would break your heart. Let's just say, she needs to be punished quite often for that smart mouth of hers."

"You bastard!" Hitsugaya growled as Luppi was lifted into the sky, disappearing back to Las Noches. He frowned and lowered his head. He clenched his fist tightly to his side. "I'm so sorry, Hitomi. I swear to you, I'll save you no matter what."

* * *

Hitomi was startled awake when she felt herself being lifted into the air. She screamed and began hitting the person in the chest. "Let me go, Gin!"

Gin smiled down at her. "Now, don't be so hostile. I'm takin' ya to see your friends."

Hitomi gasped when they entered the main meeting room. She wriggled away from Gin and ran over to the girl standing in the center of the room. "Orihime-chan!"

Orihime scooped Hitomi up, hugging her tightly. "Thank goodness you're okay, Hitomi-chan. Everyone has been worried about you."

Hitomi looked up at Orihime. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Grimmjaw frowned. "Move out of the way, Chibi Chibi. This girl is going to heal me."

Hitomi ran over to Luppi once her feet touched the ground. She hugged him tightly and smiled up at him. "Welcome home, Luppi." She frowned when she saw the bandages. "You got hurt."

Luppi waved his hand dismissively. "Your father sure is a mean fighter."

Hitomi's eyes widened. "Daddy is alive?"

Luppi smiled confidently down at Hitomi. "Most definitely." His smile turned to a frown when he saw that not only was Grimmjaw's arm completely healed, but so was the number six on his back. "What the hell are you doing, Grimmjaw?"

Grimmjaw smirked, strolling over to Luppi and Hitomi. "Go back to the woman, Hitomi." He waited for the small girl to reluctantly move away. Once he was sure she was by Orihime, he punched his hand through Luppi's stomach.

Hitomi screamed. "What are you doing, Grimmjaw!?" She attempted to run over but was stopped by Orihime's arms holding her.

Luppi coughed up blood and glared furiously at Grimmjaw. "Grimmjaw…you bastard…"

Grimmjaw grinned insanely, summoning a cero. "Damn right." With that, he blasted Luppi's head off.

Hitomi scream was drowned out by Grimmjaw's insane laughter. Tears filled her eyes. "Why'd you kill Luppi!?"

Grimmjaw stopped laughing and turned to snarl at Hitomi. "I don't need to explain myself to a punk like you."

Aizen glared sternly at Grimmjaw. "I would suggest you not speak to my queen that way."

Hitomi's eyes widened as she looked up at Aizen. "What are you talking about?"

Aizen smiled down at her. "You are to be my queen, Hitomi-hime. I need your powers to help me rule this world. You are my snow white queen."

**Yeah…I feel really sick and I'm tired. I hope this chapter entertained all of you. I realize Aizen is a bit….creepy in this chapter but it will all get explained later. Review please!**


	14. The Meeting

**So…I haven't updated this one in over a month now. My bad guys. I just haven't been as inspired to write this and I didn't want to just give you all absolute crap so thank you for being patient. **

_Hitsugaya sat up when he felt another presence in his room. He relaxed when he saw the silhouette at the side of his futon. "What's wrong, Hitomi?"_

_Hitomi whimpered as she held her pillow close to her chest. "I'm scared, Daddy."_

_Hitsugaya blinked. He was about to ask her what she was scared of when a bolt of lightening and crash of thunder answered him. He suddenly had an armful of terrified Hitomi. He sighed. "I guess you want to stay here tonight?"_

_Hitomi nodded her head. She relaxed slightly when Hitsugaya laid back down and allowed her to curl up beside him. She snuggled into Hitsugaya's warm side. "Thank you, Daddy."_

_Hitsugaya stroked her hair absentmindedly. He sighed as another clap of thunder forced a whimper out of Hitomi. "The thunder isn't going to get you." He rolled his eyes as Hitomi continue to tremble in his arms. "Here, let's play a game that my grandmother taught me."_

_Hitomi turned her big blue eyes up to Hitsugaya's face. "What game?"_

_"Well, when he saw lightning you count until you hear thunder. The longer it takes to count, the farther the storm is from you." Hitsugaya explained._

_Hitomi bit her lip before slowly nodding her head. She looked over her shoulder, waiting for a bolt of lightning. When she saw one, she winced but began counting with Hitsugaya. "One thousand one, One thousand two, One thousand three…"_

_The two continued counting up to one thousand twenty before they heard thunder. Hitsugaya almost smiled at the grin on Hitomi's face. "See? The storm is moving away from us."_

_Hitomi held onto the front of Hitsugaya's sleeping kimono. "Can I still stay with you, Daddy?"_

_"Yeah. You still need to get up in the morning though. Tomorrow is your first day at the academy."_

_Hitomi nodded her head sleepily, her eyes closing. "I'll make you proud, Daddy."_

"Hitomi-chan, are you listening to me?"

Hitomi blinked and looked up, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, Orihime-chan. I was thinking about my daddy." The two girls were sitting on the couch in Orihime's room and Orihime had been trying to talk to the small girl for the past five minutes.

Orihime returned the smile. "It's okay. You miss him, don't you?"

Hitomi nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Did you know Daddy isn't really my daddy?"

Orihime blinked. "Well, I didn't think he was your biological father if that's what you mean."

"Matsumoto-mama found me in a box and they drew straws to see who would have to take care of me. Daddy drew the short straw." Hitomi clutched tightly to her white dress. "Daddy didn't really want me. He only took care of me because he had to."

Orihime reached out and pulled Hitomi into a tight hug. "You shouldn't think like that. He really does care about you. When the Arrancar came he demanded they return you. He's worried about you and he wants to get you back."

Hitomi looked up, hope in her eyes. "Really?"

Orihime grinned. "Of course."

"Oi, Chibi Chibi, let's go." Grimmjaw walked into the room, looking irritated as always.

Hitomi frowned. "Why?"

"His Highness has called a meeting and you are supposed to come."

Hitomi shuddered. "Do I have to go?"

Grimmjaw shrugged. "Unless you want him to come and get you personally, I suggest you get your ass moving."

Hitomi hopped down from the sofa. "I'll see you later, Orihime-chan." Hitomi walked beside Grimmjaw. She grabbed his hand in hers, tightening her grip when she felt his annoyed gaze on her. "Can I please hold your hand, Grimm?"

Grimmjaw rolled his eyes. "You already are, Moron."

"I'll let go if you want."

Grimmjaw sighed. "It's fine." He held her hand all the way into the meeting room.

Nnoitra sneered at the two as they walked in. "Aw, how sweet. Grimmjaw's holding the little princess's hand."

Hitomi stuck her tongue out at Nnoitra and released Grimmjaw's hand. "Shut up, Nnoitra! You're such a dummy." She skipped over to where Ulquiorra sat and climbed into his lap. "Hi, Ulqui-chan."

Ulquiorra stared down at the small girl. "Hello, Hitomi-sama."

Hitomi looked around curiously at all the seated Espada. "Why'd Aizen-jerk want to have a meeting?"

Ulquiorra sighed. "You really should be more respectful, Hitomi-sama. There are intruders."

Hitomi perked up. "Really?"

Nnoitra laughed. "What are you so excited about?"

Hitomi glared at the 5th Espada. "I hope whoever it is kicks your creepy butt all over this stupid desert."

"Nnoitra, do not speak so rudely to Hitomi-sama." Halibel glared reproachfully at Nnoitra. "She is Aizen-sama's chosen queen."

Hitomi grimaced. "Which is gross! He's way older than me! It's creepy! I don't wanna be his queen." She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Good morning, my dear Espada." Aizen smiled at the group before taking a seat at the head of the table. He held his hand out to Hitomi. "Why don't you come sit with me, Hitomi-hime?"

Hitomi shook her head. "No way. I'm fine here." She grabbed onto Ulquiorra's pants, refusing to let go.

Aizen chuckled. "Very well." He turned his smiling face back to the Espada. "We are under attack." He cut his eyes over to Kaname. "Start the projector."

Hitomi gasped as the room went completely dark and a large beam of light came from the middle of the table. A picture appeared showing three people running through the desert. "It's Kurosaki-san!"

Aizen nodded his head. "The intruders are Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryuu, and Sado Yasutora."

Barragan, the oldest looking Espada sneered. "They're all just a bunch of kids. Why should we worry about them?"

Hitomi frowned at him. "You better not underestimate them, Gramps. They're way better than any of you!"

Aizen chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far, Hitomi-hime. However," His face became serious. "you shouldn't take any of them lightly. All four of them were once labeled as ryoka and broke into Soul Society, managing to fight on par with the Gotei 13."

Zommari raised an eyebrow. "There are only three of them. Where is the fourth?"

Aizen smirked. "Inoue Orihime was the fourth."

Nnoitra rolled his eyes. "So, they're here to save their friend. Why don't you just let 'em have her?"

Halibel glared at Nnoitra. "Haven't you been listening? Aizen-sama said we shouldn't underestimate them."

Hitomi tuned out their fighting and began daydreaming. She was startled when Grimmjaw stood up and began walking away. She hopped out of Ulquiorra's lap in order to follow the sixth Espada, frowning when Aizen reached out and grabbed her arm. "Let me go."

"Where are you going, Grimmjaw?" Kaname questioned, obviously annoyed by Grimmjaw's lack of respect.

Grimmjaw growled. "I'm gonna go kill them."

Kaname frowned. "Aizen-sama has given no such order. Sit down."

"I'm gonna get rid of them for your precious Aizen-sama." Grimmjaw was clearly annoyed now.

"Grimmjaw," Aizen spoke softly, pulling a wriggling Hitomi into his lap. "I appreciate your intentions. However, I'm not done speaking. Please return to your seat." He waited a few moments to see if Grimmjaw would answer. When he didn't, Aizen smirked. "Are you going to answer, Grimmjaw?"

Hitomi gasped as she watched Grimmjaw collapse to the ground. She attempted to escape Aizen's grip. "Leave Grimm alone!"

Aizen released Grimmjaw from his spiritual pressure and turned his attention back to the seated Espada. He stood up, holding Hitomi close to him. "Do not underestimate our enemies. There is no need to make a huge commotion, though. Go about as though nothing has happened; let them come to us. As long as you all stay by my side, we are invincible."

The minute Aizen put her down, Hitomi ran over to where Grimmjaw was kneeling on the ground. She gently placed a small hand on his back. "Are you okay, Grimm?"

Grimmjaw growled and stood up. "Leave me alone!"

Hitomi watched sadly as Grimmjaw left. She realized she was alone with the three traitors of Soul Society. Her eyes hardened and she glared angrily at Aizen. "You need to leave Grimm alone!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and quickly ran out of the room and back to her own. She curled up in the middle of her bed. She needed to come up with a plan to get herself and Orihime out of Hueco Mundo and into the desert of Las Noches. There was no way she was staying here any longer. Later today, when she was alone with Orihime, she talk to her and begin planning their escape.

**Yay, I finally updated. I totally didn't realize that this has now broken 100 reviews!! Hooray! Thank you all so much for your continual support and patience. **


	15. You're Coming with Me

**I'm a horrible person! I haven't updated this in forever. I'm super sorry guys! I'm sleepy. I haven't slept well in like three months. Stupid herbal teas don't work. **

* * *

"Hitomi-chan, I don't think that's such a good idea." Orihime said worriedly. "You're going to hurt your teeth."

Hitomi looked down. She was currently grasping the bars that were on the window. She had been attempting to gnaw her way through the bars. It wasn't going as well as she planned. "Do you have any better ideas on how to get out of here?"

"What about your Zanpaktou?" Orihime suggested, hoping to coax the small girl down from the ridiculously high window.

"Aizen-jerk took it from me." Hitomi pouted. Both girls had been able to sense Ichigo and the others as they fought. Both froze when they felt one of the spiritual pressures become weak. "Orihime-chan…" She let go of the bars and gracefully landed beside Orihime.

Orihime picked Hitomi up and cooed softly to her, stroking her hair affectionately. "It's okay. Chad's okay."

"It seems Nnoitra got impatient even though he was ordered to wait." Ulquiorra said, walking into the room, looking unemotionally at the two girls.

Orihime glared determinedly at Ulquiorra. "Sado-kun is not dead."

Hitomi whimpered and held onto Orihime tighter. "I wanna go home."

"Aizen-sama has requested that you dine with him tonight, Hitomi-sama." Ulquiorra said in his monotone voice.

"I don't want to." Hitomi glared hatefully at the 4th Espada.

"It's okay, Hitomi-chan. Go ahead and go eat." Orihime encouraged the small girl, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to deny Aizen's request.

Hitomi pouted and looked up at Orihime. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

Orihime smiled. "Of course."

Hitomi continued to pout as Orihime put her down. She walked towards the door and paused, turning around to glare at Ulquiorra. "You better be nice to Orihime-chan."

She walked slowly down the long hallways of Las Noches, not desiring to dine with Aizen. Unfortunately, she finally reached the door to Aizen's room. She took a deep breath before slowly entering the room.

Aizen smiled as Hitomi walked into the room. He sat at a small table covered with delicious looking food. "It's good to see you, Hitomi-hime. Come and eat. You must be hungry." He waited patiently for Hitomi to come and sit across from him. "Ulquiorra says you have not been eating well."

Hitomi shrugged, poking at the food on her plate. "I haven't been very hungry."

"Do you miss Hitsugaya, Hitomi-hime?"

Hitomi glared hatefully at Aizen. "Don't you dare speak my father's name. You have no right to even speak about him."

Aizen continued to smile, not at all phased by Hitomi's expressions or words. "How have you been today, Hitomi-hime?"

"Why do you keep calling me that!?" Hitomi was resisting the urge to throw food at Aizen's smug face.

Aizen reached across the table and patted her head affectionately. "You're a little princess, Hitomi-hime. Shouldn't a princess be called by her title?"

"I'm not hungry. I want to see Orihime-chan." Hitomi didn't like being alone with Aizen.

"You haven't eaten anything yet." Aizen pointed out.

"I'll eat if you let me go eat in Orihime-chan's room." Hitomi clutched tightly at her dress.

Aizen looked at the small girl for a moment. "Very well. Do be careful on your way back though, Hitomi-hime. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Hitomi ran out of the room, not taking any of the food with her. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her back to Orihime's room. She peeked into the room and frowned when she saw Orihime sitting on the couch, her eyes red and puffy. "What's wrong, Orihime-chan?"

Orihime looked up and shakily smiled. "It's nothing. I'm okay, Hitomi-chan."

Hitomi ran over to the couch and hopped up into Orihime's lap, hugging the distressed teenager tightly. "Did Ulquiorra hurt you?"

Orihime shook her head and hugged Hitomi back. "No, it's okay."

Hitomi pulled away from the hug and looked up at Orihime, smoothing the girl's hair down. "We'll get out of here, Orihime-chan. You'll get to see Kurosaki-san again and I'll get to see my daddy again."

Suddenly, Orihime leapt up, pushing Hitomi to the floor. She began pounding on the door furiously. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, begging to be let out.

Hitomi hesitantly walked over to Orihime, holding onto the her long white skirt. "What's wrong, Orihime-chan?"

"Kuchiki-san is dead." Orihime whimpered.

Hitomi's eyes widened. "You mean Rukia-neesan?" When she got a positive nod from Orihime, she led her over to the bed. "Sit down, Orihime-chan." Hitomi finally managed to calm Orihime down.

Orihime sat in front of her bed, deep in thought. She looked up when she heard the door click open. Quickly, she shoved Hitomi under the bed, standing in front of the spot like a protective mother. "Stay under the bed, Hitomi-chan." She whispered.

Hitomi peeked out from under the bed, seeing two Arrancar girls beating Orihime up. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she ran out from under the bed. "Leave Orihime-chan alone!" She tackled the taller of the Arrancar to the ground but was thrown into a wall by the other Arrancar.

The taller of the Arrancar girls walked over and picked Hitomi up from the ground, holding the small girl in a headlock. "Don't interfere. If you do, you'll make it worse for her."

Hitomi tried to bite, claw, and kick her way out of the headlock but it was no use. She watched helplessly as Orihime was punched in the face by the other girl. All the girls were surprised when the door was busted down. Hitomi looked over and her eyes lit up. "Grimm!" As soon as the Arrancar girl let her go, Hitomi ran over to Orihime, hugging her tightly.

Orihime, held Hitomi tightly. "Don't look, Hitomi-chan."

Hitomi gasped as Orihime was suddenly ripped away from her. She gasped when she looked up and saw Grimmjaw holding Orihime up by the front of her shirt. "What are you doing, Grimm!? Leave Orihime-chan alone!"

Grimmjaw glared down at the small girl. "Shut up. You two are coming with me."

* * *

**Yay I finally updated! I'm so proud of myself. Review and let me know what you thought.**


	16. New Friend

**BriBri-chan, I want Shedy!!! So, I've been watching American Idol the past couple of nights. I'm sad because there not showing that many of the really bad ones this year…that was the best part!**

**

* * *

"Are we there yet?"**

"No." Grimmjaw growled.

"Are there yet?"

No." Grimmjaw felt what little patience he had disappearing.

"Are we there now?"

"No." Grimmjaw swore in his head. If this girl asked him that question one more time…

"Grimm…"

"What!?" Grimmjaw snapped.

Hitomi squeaked and quickly climbed up Orihime. "I just wanted to know where we're going!" Hitomi sniffled and began bawling at the top of her lungs. She buried her face in Orihime's neck. "Grimm hates me!"

Orihime patted the small girls back soothingly. "I'm sure Grimmjaw doesn't hate you." She gave Grimmjaw a reprimanding glare. "You don't hate her, right Grimmjaw?"

Grimmjaw rolled his eyes. "No, I don't hate you. Now will you please shut the hell up?"

Hitomi pouted. "Well, where are we going?"

"You'll see." Grimmjaw replied, a crazy grin on his face. "Just shut up and be patient."

Hitomi tugged on Orihime's sleeve, pouting. "He told me to shut up."

"Hitomi-chan, maybe you should quiet down for a little bit. We don't anyone to find out that we got out, right?" Orihime reasoned.

Hitomi quickly nodded her head. She held one hand over her mouth to keep herself silent. Her eyes widened as they arrived at their destination; Ichigo's badly injured body. She wriggled out of Orihime's arms and ran over to Ichigo, kneeling beside his body. "Kurosaki-san!" She screamed when Grimmjaw kicked Ichigo over onto his side. "What are you doing, Grimm!?"

Grimmjaw glared over at where Orihime remained paralyzed. "Get over here and fix him." Grimmjaw walked over to sit on a pile of debris, watching Orihime begin to heal Ichigo.

"Hitomi-chan, I need you to move out of the way." Orihime said softly.

Hitomi did as she was told without arguing. It was then that she noticed the strange Arrancar girl whimpering on the side. She walked over to the girl and smiled hesitantly at her. "Hello. I'm Hitsugaya Hitomi. Who are you?"

The girl hiccupped. "Nel."

Hitomi patted Nel on her hollow mask. "Don't worry. Orihime-chan will fix Kurosaki-san?"

Nel looked curiously at Hitomi. "You know Ichigo?"

Hitomi grinned. "Yup."

"You two better shut the hell up or I'm going to beat you both into next week!" Grimmjaw snarled.

Nel quietly muttered a 'yes sir' while Hitomi stuck her tongue out. The two girls sat side by side, leaning their heads against each other, watching Orihime try to heal Ichigo. The two girls hesitantly stood up when they were sure Grimmjaw wasn't focused on them and moved to stand on either side of Orihime.

"Nel…Inoue…and Hitomi?"

All three girls squealed with joy when Ichigo opened his eyes. If Orihime's healing shield hadn't been around Ichigo, he would've been tackled by Nel and Hitomi.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Kurosaki-san!" Hitomi beamed.

"All of you shut up!" Grimmjaw growled. "Hurry up and finish healing him so I can fight him."

Orihime's eyes widened. "You had me heal him just so you could fight him!?"

"I said shut up! Hurry up before Ulquiorra figures out what's going on and returns."

All of them froze when Ulquiorra appeared behind Grimmjaw. Hitomi whimpered and clutched tightly to Orihime's dress as Orihime stood up.

Orihime ushered the two girls to stand behind her as Grimmjaw and Ulquiorra began to fight. "Stay behind me, Nel, Hitomi."

Nel and Hitomi hugged each other tightly both on the verge of tears as the two exchanged cero blast. Both were surprised when Ulquiorra seemed to just vanish. Hitomi hesitantly let go of Nel and stood beside Orihime. "What'd you do to, Ulquiorra?"

"I sent him to another dimension that's generally used to eternally imprison insolent subordinates. Given Ulquiorra's power, it will only hold him for about two, maybe three hours max." Grimmjaw cut his eyes over to Orihime. "Hurry up and heal him."

Orihime glared defiantly at Grimmjaw. "No." Her eyes widened as Grimmjaw grabbed her throat.

Hitomi shrieked and began pounding her fist on Grimmjaw furiously. "Let her go, Grimm."

Grimmjaw ignored the small girl. "Heal him!" His eyes widened when Ichigo grabbed his arm and shoved him away from Orihime.

Ichigo looked over at Orihime. "Inoue, heal me and then heal him."

Hitomi stood back beside Nel, glaring angrily over at Grimmjaw. "I don't understand guys and their constant need to fight. Ken-chan and the others were like that too."

Nel shrugged. "I don't know either."

Once Orihime was done healing Ichigo, Nel and Hitomi tackled him to the ground, hugging him tightly. "I was so worried!" Both girls cried out.

Ichigo smiled and pried the two girls off of him. He patted Nel on the head and ruffled Hitomi's hair affectionately. "You just can't stay out of trouble, Hitomi."

Hitomi smiled sheepishly. "Yup."

Ichigo smiled at Nel. "Don't give me that look, Nel. You too, Inoue. I'm definitely going to win this so none of you need to worry."

Hitomi hugged Nel tightly to comfort the crying Arrancar girl. "Don't worry. Kurosaki-san is one of the strongest people I've ever met. He'll win for sure."

Nel whimpered and tackled Hitomi to the ground. The three girls watched Grimmjaw and Ichigo leap up into the air, moving their fight away from the girls. Even so, the three girls could feel the immense spiritual pressure. Nel began crying and repeating Ichigo's name over and over. Hitomi was beginning to become nervous as well. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore of the fight. Both girls were startled when Orihime pulled them into a tight embrace.

"Ichigo will win. He said he would." Orihime said with confidence.

Nel continued to cry. "You don't know that. When people are scared they say things like that."

Orihime shook her head, rocking back and forth with the two girls. "Kurosaki-kun isn't like that. When he says things like that, he's making a promise not only to us, but to himself as well. That's why, if Kurosaki-kun says he will win, he'll win for sure. Right, Hitomi-chan?"

Hitomi grinned and nodded. "Yeah! Kurosaki-san is the strongest…after my daddy of course."

Orihime chuckled. "Yes…after your father."

Hitomi looked over at Nel, continuing to grin. "When this is all over, Nel-chan can come home with me and play with me and my daddy!"

Nel's eyes widened. "Really!? You'd want to play with me?"

Hitomi nodded. "Yeah! Nel-chan is my new friend and I always like to play with my friends, especially since I don't have a lot my size."

Nel began bawling and tackled Hitomi to the ground. "Nel ish so happy! You're Nel's first friend that's her size too!"

Hitomi laughed and hugged Nel tightly. "You can meet my other friend, Yachiru-chan. We'll all have so much fun. But first," Hitomi's face became serious. "We need to kick Aizen-jerk's butt."

**

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****I know, I know it's another short one. Please bear with me guys! I hope this made you all happy. I'm very sleepy so I'm gonna go to bed. Peace out guys!**


	17. Kitty

**I just want to give you all a real quick heads up; my college classes have started again which means a huge amount of reading, studying, and late nights. That being said, I will still try to update each story once a week but on some weeks, it may not be possible. I just don't want my inbox flooded with 'Why haven't you updated???' 'Update faster!'. Thank you all for your understanding and patience. I heart all of you very much.**

**Sakura02: EW!!! I can't believe you like pinky now. He seems like such a…a…creepy person that would do inappropriate things to you (I secretly love him too). Also, I don't want Shedy anymore. Shedy scared me  
****SaiyukiSucker: True she couldn't be Hitomi's small friend, but she can always be her really big friend!**

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Hitomi blinked slowly. "What just happened?"

Nel thought for a moment. "Well, Grimmjaw shot a cero blast in this direction and Ichigo blocked it."

"Huh…" Hitomi said quietly. "What's that thing on Kurosaki-san's face?"

"That's a hollow mask." Nel answered sagely.

"Huh…" Hitomi's eyes widened and she gasped. "Kurosaki-san is a hollow!?"

Ichigo sighed. "I'm not a hollow, Hitomi. Look, just stay calm and once this is all over, I'll explain everything to you."

Hitomi huffed. "You better."

"This is what I've been waiting for!" Grimmjaw laughed manically. "Grind Pantera!"

Hitomi blinked, looking over at Nel. "Did Grimm just tell his pants to grind?"

Nel laughed, ruffling Hitomi's hair. "No, Silly. Pantera means panther."

"Huh…" Hitomi said thoughtfully. She squealed when the dust settled. "Kitty!"

Orihime looked closely at Grimmjaw. If he was a kitty, he was the meanest one she had ever seen. She certainly wouldn't want to pet him. She frowned when Hitomi attempted to come out from behind her. "Stay back, Hitomi-chan. It's too dangerous outside the shield."

Hitomi pouted but moved back, plopping herself down on the ground beside Nel. She watched the fight quietly for a few minutes. "Kitty Grimm sure is mean but Mask Kurosaki-san is kinda scary."

Nel nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah."

"So, do you have mommy, Nel?" Hitomi asked.

Nel thought for a moment. "No. Aizen-sama could be considered my father, I think…maybe."

Hitomi made a face of disgust. "Ew! He wants to marry me. If he married me, I'd be your mommy!"

Nel mimicked Hitomi's face. "That would be gross! Why does Aizen-sama want to marry you?"

Hitomi shrugged. "Maybe it's 'cause I'm so cute."

The two girls frowned when they noticed how frightened Orihime looked. They looked at each other and nodded before cupping their hands around their mouths "C'mon, Ichigo! You can do it!"

Hitomi looked over at Orihime, her hands on her hips. "You need to help cheer Kurosaki-san on."

"Yeah!" Nel chimed in. "Stop looking so scared. You're the one that told us that Ichigo was a kind person, so you shouldn't be scared!"

Orihime smiled faintly at the two girls, tears forming in her eyes. She turned to wear Ichigo lay fallen, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Don't die, Kurosaki-kun!" When she had Ichigo's attention, she spoke more softly. "Please, don't hurt yourself anymore than you already are."

All three girls were relieved at first when it seemed Ichigo had won, until Grimmjaw began screaming and stabbed Ichigo in the chest with his hand.

Nel and Hitomi clung tightly to each other, whimpering as Grimmjaw unleashed his most powerful attack. Hitomi buried her head in Nel's neck. "I'm scared."

Nel nodded. "Me too."

Orihime hugged the two girls tightly. "It's okay. Everything will be okay."

Hitomi watched with rapt attention as Ichigo stabbed Grimmjaw and then caught him from falling, ending the fight. She watched as he gently dropped Grimmjaw to the ground and then came over to the girls. While Nel tackled Ichigo midair, Hitomi remained beside Orihime.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Ichigo!" Nel cried.

Ichigo smiled. "I'm glad all three of you are all right." He then threw Orihime over his shoulder, ignoring her protest. After he had led the three girls to the ground, he grinned. "Now to get Rukia, Chad, Ishida, and Renji."

Hitomi and Nel attached themselves to each of Ichigo's legs. "What about us!?"

Ichigo laughed. "You three are coming with me of course."

All of them froze as Grimmjaw stood up. Hitomi's eyes saddened. "Grimm, stay down."

Grimmjaw growled, returning to his normal form. He tried to attack Ichigo, but it was clear he had no more strength. Suddenly, Grimmjaw's upper torso was cut by a crescent shaped sword.

Hitomi screamed and ran over to Grimmjaw's fallen body. "Grimm!" She quickly tore off the bottom half of her dress and tried to cover Grimmjaw's profusely bleeding wound with the small amount of fabric. She didn't care that her dress was now just barely passed her thighs. She was panicking as the blood seeped through the fabric. "Hang on, Grimm."

Grimmjaw groaned but didn't respond.

Hitomi gently caressed Grimmjaw's cheek. "Don't die. You were my only friend here. You always took care of me. Please don't die." She hadn't realized she was crying until she heard her fourth most hated voice.

"Aw, did the poor little princess lose her kitty."

Hitomi snarled, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Nnoitra…"

**

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****Poor Hitomi lost her kitty. Does anybody know if Grimmjaw actually died or not? I swear I saw his foot in one manga panel but I'm never for sure…Anyways, please review and let me know what you thought. I have to go to bed now so I can get up bright and early for World Literature.**


	18. Nnoitra

**What's up guys? Sorry I haven't updated in a couple of weeks. Classes have been crazy and I haven't been feeling good. On the plus side, I alphabetized all of my manga (not that it will stay that way for long).**

**hisanachan—Hitomi hates Nnoitra because he always picks on her and he just looks like he would eat a small child if he could get a hold on one.**

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Hitomi screamed as she was thrown backwards from the kick Nnoitra delivered to her stomach. She let out a small 'omph' as she landed against something hard.

"Are you okay, Hitomi?" Ichigo asked, gently placing Hitomi on the ground.

Tears stood in the corner of Hitomi's eyes but she shook them off. "He hurt Grimm."

"That wasn't what I asked you but I'll take it as a yes." Ichigo ushered Hitomi over to Orihime. "Stay here."

Hitomi clenched her fist. "Kick his butt, Kurosaki-san!"

Ichigo grinned. "That's what I intend to do."

Despite Ichigo's request, Hitomi ran back over to Grimmjaw's fallen body, continuing to try and stop his profuse bleeding. "Please don't die, Grimm."

Grimmjaw groaned. "If I promise not to die will you shut up?" He grunted when he saw her rapidly nodding her head. "Then shut the hell up."

"Watch out, Hitomi!"

Hitomi looked up and gasped, seeing Nnoitra charging at Grimmjaw's fallen body. She jumped up, putting her small body in between Grimmjaw's fallen one and Nnoitra's charging one. She closed her eyes, hoping it wouldn't hurt too badly when she was cut in half. When she didn't feel herself being cut into tiny bits, she dared to peek.

"You okay, Hitomi?" Ichigo asked, blocking Nnoitra's attack.

"Yes! Thank you, Kurosaki-san!" Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Get Grimmjaw out of here." Ichigo said.

Hitomi nodded. She turned her back on Ichigo and Nnoitra, thinking of the best way to transport Grimmjaw. Sighing in defeat, she grabbed both of his ankles and began dragging him across the sand.

"What the hell are you doing, you crazy kid!?" Grimmjaw was pissed.

Hitomi struggled, falling down a few times. She picked herself up and continued slowly dragging Grimmjaw across the ground. "I'm getting you somewhere safe. Now shut up so I can concentrate; you're heavy."

Grimmjaw growled but decided it was best to stop arguing the small child dragging him across the desert. He frowned when she dragged him behind some rubble. "This is the best you could come up with?"

Hitomi pouted. "Hey, it's not like there's much out here in a desert. Hold still." Hitomi brought her tiny hands to the wound on Grimmjaw's chest, a blue light enveloping her hands.

Grimmjaw raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Hitomi bit her lip. "I'm not as good as Orihime-chan is at this healing stuff, but I can make most of the pain disappear. Unohana-taicho was teaching me before Aizen-jerk kidnapped me."

"Don't waste your energy. You need to conserve it for fighting." Grimmjaw said.

"What about your injuries?" Hitomi asked, the blue light not fading.

Grimmjaw laughed. "I've had worse. Now, get back to that woman and stay safe. I'll be pissed at you if you let yourself get hurt."

Hitomi allowed the blue light to disappear. "I'll come back for you. When this is all over, you can come home with me." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before running out from behind the rubble. She froze for a few moments when she saw Tesla holding Orihime captive. She saw Nel hiding behind a pile of rubble and ran over to her.

"Hitomi-chan, I'm scared." Nel whimpered.

"It's okay, Nel-chan." Hitomi whispered, hugging Nel.

Both girls screamed as the piece of rubble they were hiding behind exploded, sending the two girls flying. Neither was seriously injured but both were badly shaken. The two looked up in time to see Ichigo fly over them. A shadow fell on the two girls.

"You're Nel?" Nnoitra's voice asked.

Hitomi stood protectively in front of Nel. "Don't you dare touch her you creep!"

Nnoitra frowned. "You're really starting to piss me off, Princess. You need to take a nap." He swung his hand out, hitting Hitomi and sending her into a pile of rubble.

_How pathetic._

_Hitomi's blue eyes opened. There was nothing but darkness surrounding her. She looked up and saw a giant tiger in front of her. "Who are you?"_

_The tiger looked at her. "I am your Zanpaktou, Hitomi-hime. This is our first time speaking together, isn't it?"_

_You can't protect anyone._

_"Where am I?" Hitomi asked._

_"We are in your subconscious. Nnoitra's hit knocked you out." The tiger said._

_You're weak._

_Hitomi covered her ears. "Who is saying those things?"_

_The tiger began walking towards Hitomi. "It is the you that you don't remember."_

_You're useless._

_"Why am I hearing these things?"_ _Hitomi whimpered._

_"You must be strong, Hitomi-hime. If you ever want to return to your true home, you must stop doubting yourself."_

_Your parents didn't even want you._

_"My true home?" Hitomi blinked._

_"Your home in the sky." The tiger answered._

_What a pathetic princess._

"Hitomi-chan, are you okay?" An unfamiliar voice called.

Hitomi slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the person holding her. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled. "It's me, Nel. Don't you remember me?"

Hitomi sat up fully, looking at the grown woman before her. "You're Nel!? But…but…you're all big and stuff!"

Nel laughed. "Don't worry about that. You and Ichigo need to lie still. I will take care of Nnoitra."

"Now I don't have a little friend anymore." Hitomi pouted.

Nel ruffled her hair. "We can still be friends though, right?"

Hitomi thought for a moment. "I guess so."

She watched Nel begin fighting with Nnoitra, clenching her fist in her dress. She wanted to fight to. She wanted to help protect everyone. Why was she always so weak? So useless? Hitomi was startled from her thoughts as Nel tackled Ichigo, hugging him tightly. She began to laugh as Nel nearly suffocated Ichigo and Orihime tried to remain calm.

The moment of humor was broken by Tesla flying into a pile of rubble beside the group. Nel stood up and began to fight Nnoitra again.

Orihime held tightly to Hitomi whispering soothingly to the crying child. "It's okay, Hitomi-chan. Everything will be okay."

"I want to fight too. I want to protect everyone." Hitomi cried. She screamed as Orihime was ripped away from her and someone had her by her hair.

"Stop that crying immediately, Hitomi-hime." Tesla growled out. "Aizen-sama would not be pleased with your current behavior."

"Aizen-jerk can bite me!" Hitomi yelled, trying to tug her hair out of Tesla's grasp.

"Tell that damn Sky Princess to shut her damn mouth before I rip her tongue out!" Nnoitra yelled as he continued to fight.

Hitomi was becoming angrier and angrier with each passing moment. Something warm was building inside of her. She could hear it, her Zanpaktou was calling out to her. She closed her eyes, calling back to it. There was something cool and heavy in her hand now and Tesla had released her hair. She opened her eyes and there it was, her Zanpaktou. She glared at Tesla. "Let Orihime-chan go."

**

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****Yay!! Hitomi-chan finally gets to fight! Will she be able to protect everyone like she desperately wishes to? You'll have to wait until next week! **


	19. Protector

**I'm so sorry I didn't update last week guys! Stupid school decided to give me a test and two papers to write. **

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To say that Tesla was shocked would be an understatement. Never in his life had he seen someone so young with a Zanpaktou. "Hitomi-hime, what do you intend to do?"

Hitomi glowered at Tesla. "I'm going to make you let Orihime-chan go."

Tesla frowned. "Hitomi-hime, please stop this nonsense. We both know how this will end."

"Yeah," Hitomi agreed. "you're going to be on the floor crying like a little baby." She charged at Tesla, her Zanpaktou clashing with Tesla's. She glared angrily at him. "Let Orihime-chan go!"

Tesla winced as Hitomi pushed him back. Where was such a small child getting so much strength? He noticed a strange symbol appearing on Hitomi's forehead. Had she always had that? He had never really seen Hitomi's bangs off her forehead so he wasn't sure. He had to release Orihime in order to hold his sword with two hands. He managed to push Hitomi a few feet away from him. "Stop this foolishness now, Hitomi-hime."

Hitomi jumped up. The symbol on her forehead was glowing. "No! I'll never forgive you for hurting Orihime-chan! I'll never forgive Nnoitra for hurting Grimm, Kurosaki-san, and Nel! I'll never forgive Aizen for hurting my most precious person! I won't stop until Aizen is defeated!"

Tesla's eyes widened as the symbol on her forehead stopped glowing. He realized that it was actually the outline of amaryllis on her forehead. "That symbol…you…" His gaze hardened. "Hitomi-hime, I do not wish to go against Aizen-sama's orders but if you continue this, I'll have to hurt you."

Hitomi held her sword out in front of her. "Tobikau Oniyuri(1)!"

Tesla took a few hesitant steps back, unsure of what was going to happen. He smirked when he saw Hitomi still standing there. Her Zanpaktou hadn't changed a bit. He was about to point this out to the small girl when she sliced her sword through the air and Tesla felt something slash him across the chest. He looked down and blood was flowing from the gash.

He tried to remain calm and analyze the situation. Something was attacking him. How was Hitomi able to attack him when she was so far away? He saw what was attacking him when his right arm was cut badly.

A large white tiger was attacking him. It's attacks mirrored the movement of Hitomi's sword swings.

"Hitomi-hime," The tiger growled. "You are swinging too wildly. I cannot do any serious damage if you continue this way."

Hitomi huffed. "I'm trying my best!"

"Well, try harder." The tiger sighed as it swiped at Tesla's leg. "Is it that you are struggling with combat or that you do not desire to kill this peon? Oh, if your family could see you now."

"Shut up, Oniyuri!" Hitomi yelled. She was startled when she saw Nel, now tiny again, go flying across the desert. She lost her concentration for only a moment, but it cost her dearly.

"Strike Down Beluga." Tesla whispered.

Hitomi screamed as she was knocked to the side. She lost her grip on her Zanpaktou and watched as it was flung away from her. She scrambled to try and reach it but it was too late. She screamed again as she was lifted off the ground. She glared angrily at Tesla's released form. "Let me go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Considering the circumstances, I'm sure Aizen-sama can forgive me if you have a few broken bones." Tesla squeezed Hitomi tightly in his hand, wincing slightly as the small girl continued to scream. He had gotten slightly attached to the young princess, having been forced to be her playmate a few times.

Hitomi was sure that both her arms were broken. Tears spilled from her eyes as images flashed through her mind. A man and a woman smiling at her, a woman crying, blood, so much blood raining from the sky. Her forehead was burning.

Suddenly, she couldn't feel any pain. She was floating in nothingness. There was nothing but white surrounding her and a voice.

_"You need to wake up. Return to your true form."_

Tesla winced as a bright light surrounded Hitomi. He released her and took a few steps back when the light continued to float in the air.

Nnoitra looked up from pummeling Ichigo. "What the hell is going on?"

When the light disappeared, a teenage girl was floating in the place Hitomi had been. Her wavy blue hair went past her waist and her deep blue eyes glared angrily at Tesla. The amaryllis on her forehead was glowing. She still wore the same dress that little Hitomi had worn. The girl landed gracefully on the ground beside Orihime.

Orihime looked at the girl in shock. "H-Hitomi-chan?"

The girl turned and smiled at Orihime. "Don't worry, Orihime-chan. It's still me." Hitomi turned back to Tesla, the smile wiped from her face. She held her hand out and her Zanpaktou flew into it. "Do not force me to hurt you any more, Tesla-san."

Tesla glared at the teenage girl. "Shut up!"

Hitomi sighed as Tesla brought his fist down. "Tobikau Oniyuri." She slashed the air in front of her.

Tesla's eyes widened and he fell to the ground, returning to his original form. He glared contemptuously at the teenager standing over him. "Finish me."

Hitomi smiled down at him. "I can't. Even though I said I'd never forgive you, you were one of the few Arrancar kind to me. Please, just stay down."

Tesla would've risen if he could but, he did not have the strength. He sighed. "You will regret your decision."

Hitomi giggled. "Perhaps."

"Oi, is that you, Blue?" A gruff voice called.

The white light surrounded Hitomi again and when it disappeared, little Hitomi stood there. Her eyes widened in confusion. "What just happened?"

Orihime quickly scooped the small girl up and backed away from Tesla's fallen form. "You don't remember?"

Hitomi shook her head. "Did I win?"

"Hell yes you did." The voice said again.

Hitomi turned her head to the side and squealed with joy. "Kenpachi-chan! What are you doing here!?"

"That's what I want to know." Ichigo muttered.

Hitomi laughed when Kenpachi kicked Ichigo across the sand. She turned her attention back to Orihime. "So, what happened?"

"How much do you remember?" Orihime asked, trying to ignore the start of Kenpachi and Nnoitra's fight.

"Well, I remember telling Tesla I was gonna make him let you go. Everything after that is just kind of…not there." Hitomi answered.

Orihime moved Hitomi's bangs from her forehead and her eyes widened. The amaryllis outline was gone. She handed Hitomi her Zanpaktou that was laying at the girl's feet. "Do you remember your Zanpaktou's name?"

Hitomi held the sword in her hand and closed her eyes. "Oniyuri."

"Blue-chaann!"

Hitomi screamed as she was tackled to the ground by a blur of pink. "Pink-chan!"

Yachiru hugged her friend. "I missed you so much! It's been so boring without you! You were so pretty a few minutes ago! You looked like a princess!"

Hitomi blinked. "A few minutes ago? What happened?"

"You grew!" Yachiru threw her arms up for emphasis.

"Huh…" Hitomi said thoughtfully. She most certainly didn't remember growing. She looked around. "Where's Nel?"

Yachiru tilted her head to the side. "You mean that tiny Arrancar thingy?" Yachiru grinned when Hitomi nodded her head. "She's over there."

Hitomi scrambled over to where the now tiny Nel lay. "Nel-chan, are you okay?"

"Hitomi, move." Ichigo gently pulled the upset shinigami to his side. "Orihime's going to heal her so don't worry."

Hitomi looked down at her friend and frowned. She glared over at where Nnoitra and Kenpachi were fighting. "If Kenpachi doesn't kill him, I will."

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**Um…surprise! I didn't even know any of that stuff was going to happen until I started writing. I blame the music I had on. See you guys next week!**

**(1) Tobikau Oniyuri-Fly About Tiger Lily**


	20. Battle of the Beast

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**

Welcome back to another installment of Hitsugaya's Headache. Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed last chapter!

**Sakura02: Lol. Great, now every time I see Tesla I hear the scary Mortal Kombat voice.**

**sAppHiRa-hiMe****:**** Hmm…I haven't thought of how Hitsugaya will react. I'm sure it will be humorous though. Thank you so much for your support!**

**Black Wolf Jaganshi Lover: Hitomi plans to take Grimmjaw back with her but I'm not sure how her father will react. Will have to wait and see.**

**x-x SilverRain x-x****:** **Currently, there are no plans to have Hitomi get with anyone. Then again, you never know with me. If you have any ideas, send me a pm.**

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"Well I don't think you'll have to worry about fighting, Hitomi-chan." Ichigo patted the small girl's head. She was currently sitting in his lap as the group watched the fight.

"Aw," Hitomi pouted. "I really wanted to kick his butt." She frowned and swatted Orihime's hand away. "Why do you keep messing with my bangs?"

Orihime frowned. "You really don't remember anything?"

Hitomi shook her head. "Did I do something epic?"

Yachiru nodded her head excitedly. "You grew, Blue-chan! You were all teenagery and serious."

"I don't remember growing." Hitomi whined. Her eyes widened. "Kenpachi-chan just stabbed the idiot in the eye!"

Ichigo covered Hitomi's eyes. "This is too violent for a child to see."

Nnoitra laughed. "Let the little brat watch." He reached forward and pierced Kenpachi's chest. He leered at Kenpachi. "I've already told you, you can't fucking cut me!"

Hitomi gasped and pulled Ichigo's hand off of her eye. She looked up at him with big eyes. "He said a potty word!" She screamed when Nnoitra lifted up his eye patch. "And he has no eye! He's icky!"

Ichigo covered her ears as the two men began throwing curses at each other. "Your father is going to be furious if you come home cussing."

"I can read lips you know." Hitomi pouted when Yachiru covered her eyes. "You guys suck!"

Yachiru grinned and pulled Hitomi away from Ichigo. "Let's go watch the fight from over there." She said excitedly. "We can see everything better from there!"

Hitomi didn't protest as her best friend dragged her away from Ichigo and Orihime. The two stood on top of a destroyed pillar as they watched the fight between the Espada and the Shinigami. Hitomi sat down on the pillar with her knees pulled up to her chest. "Yachiru, what happened? I can't remember anything."

Yachiru, for once, gave her friend a serious look. "You grew. You were like, a teenager or something. You were…different. The air around you didn't feel the same. It felt regal; like a princess."

Hitomi fiddled with her blue hair. "A princess…huh…" She looked back to the fight and her eyes widened. "Kenpachi-chan isn't moving."

Yachiru looked at the scene apathetically. She didn't even flinch when Nnoitra charged at the two of them. She pointed at Nnoitra. "You should watch out behind you." She grinned down at Hitomi. "See? Ken-chan's fine. He's mad 'cause that guy tried to attack me."

Hitomi's eyes widened as she saw one of Nnoitra's arms dangling on the end of Kenpachi's sword. She laughed nervously. "I should've known it would take more than that to kill Kenpachi-chan."

The two girls continued watching the battle. Yachiru sat beside her friend. "Blue-chan, are you gonna leave us?"

Hitomi looked at Yachiru with confusion written all over her face. "No way! Why would I leave you guys!?"

Yachiru smiled at her friend. "'Cause if you are a princess, then you're not supposed to be with us shinigami."

Hitomi shook her head. "I'm not a princess! That's silly! I'm going to go home with you and Kenpachi-chan and my daddy and we'll play like we used to. Nothings changed. Nothings…changed…." She thought back to the images that had floated through her mind when she spoke to her Zanpaktou. Who had that woman been? Was that her mother? "It doesn't matter." She said quietly. "Daddy is my family now. No one else."

"Ew!" Yachiru squealed. "He grew two more arms!"

Hitomi stood up on the pillar and pointed an accusing finger at Nnoitra. "You're a cheater! Cheater!"

Nnoitra glared at the small girl. "Shut up! You're next on my list!"

Hitomi stuck her tongue out at him. "You can't touch me 'cause Aizen-jerk will get mad at you if you do!"

Yachiru blinked. "Why would Aizen care if he killed you?"

Hitomi shuddered. "He wants to marry me!"

"Ew!" Yachiru squealed. "Aizen's one of those pedo-thingies!" She gave Hitomi a curious look. "Will you be sad?"

Hitomi blinked. "About what?"

Yachiru motioned to the fight that was drawing to a close. "When Ken-chan kills him, will you be sad?"

Hitomi chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "I…I don't like seeing people die. I don't like him, if that's what you mean. He was mean to me and he always picked on me. He tried to beat me up a few times but Grimm or Stark would always come and stop him. But…I feel sorry for him."

Yachiru tilted her head to the side. "Sorry?"

"He always seemed so…empty unless he was fighting." Hitomi sighed. "Just like a wild animal."

Yachiru watched as Nnoitra fell to the ground. "Do you think Ken-chan is like that? A wild animal, I mean."

Hitomi smiled at her friend. "Nah. He loves Pink-chan and he can be kind…when it suits him anyways."

The two girls watched Nnoitra take his last breath.

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**Sorry it's kind of short! I just thought this was kind of a good place to stop before Hitomi has to go back to the creeper. Review and let me know your thoughts!**


	21. Reunited

**Yo! **

**Black Wolf Jaganshi Lover: Don't worry! They're going to rescue Hitomi too! She just has to go back to Aizen for a little while too.**

**Thank you so much for all of your reviews!**

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Both Hitomi and Yachiru were dancing gleefully on top of their pillar. Kenpachi had won the fight and Ichigo had successfully rescued Orihime and Hitomi. Suddenly, Hitomi felt herself being torn away from Yachiru. She looked up and gasped. "Stark-san!"

Stark looked down at her for a moment before looking away. "Forgive me. I know you don't wish to stay here but these are my orders." He was in front of Orihime now and placed a hand on the startled girl's shoulder.

Hitomi closed her eyes as she felt the rush of being teleported. She always hated the feeling. It made her queasy. She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to know where Stark had taken her.

"Hitomi-hime, I was worried about you."

Nope, she wasn't going to open her eyes. If she kept them shut, he'd go away. That idea was stolen away from her when she felt his disgusting arms holding her. Reluctantly, she opened her blue eyes and nearly screamed. Aizen's smug face was so close to her own that if she was brave enough, she could reach out and slap him.

Aizen leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I was informed that you returned to your original form, Hitomi-hime. I would have so liked to have seen it. I'm sure you were very beautiful."

Hitomi wiped her forehead, a disgusted look on her face. "Let me go, Creep!"

Aizen handed Hitomi to Gin while he spoke to Orihime.

Gin grinned down at Hitomi as she kicked him repeatedly in the shins. "Now, now, Princess, it's not nice to kick people. Just settle down."

Hitomi glared up at him. "When my daddy gets a hold of you, you're going to be sorry!"

Aizen picked Hitomi back up and smoothed her hair down. "Hush, Princess. I normally wouldn't like taking you on such important business but I'm worried about your safety here." He smirked over at Orihime. "We'll return after we've destroyed Karakura Town."

Hitomi struggled in vain. She had never been to Earth and she most certainly didn't want her first time going to be with this creep that wished to destroy it. She didn't listen as he mocked the people that were trapped in Hueco Mundo. She was angry. All she wanted to do was see her daddy again. She wanted to play with Yachiru. She wanted Shuuhei-nisan to take her out to get ice cream. She wanted to go home. She wanted to hear her daddy's voice again. "Let me go!"

"Hitomi!"

The tears that Hitomi hadn't realized were in her eyes started to fall. Her blue eyes landed on the one person she had wanted to see so badly. She attempted to struggle out of Aizen's grasp. "Daddy!"

Hitsugaya glared at Aizen. "Let her go!"

Aizen held Hitomi closer to him. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I need Hitomi-hime to help me create my new world." His eyebrow's rose as an amaryllis began glowing on Hitomi's forehead. He let the small girl go and watched as a white light surrounded her.

Hitsugaya moved to take a step forward but Yamamoto stopped him. "Yamamoto-taicho!"

Yamamoto shook his head. "He's not hurting her. Don't worry, Hitsugaya."

After a few moments, the light disappeared and in little Hitomi's place stood the teenage version of her. She opened her blue eyes and glared angrily at Aizen. "I said let me go, Creep!" It seemed that her child mind had merged with her more mature, teenage body.

"I told you she'd be a hottie when she got older!" Shuuhei yelled from his station. He nearly screamed when shards of ice barely missed him.

"I'm sorry, Shuuhei." Hitsugaya said darkly. "I'm still so young that I sometimes am unable to control my powers. Luckily, my Bankai was not out."

"Y-yes sir!" Shuuhei squeaked out.

"Hitomi," Yamamoto called. "can you take care of yourself for now?"

Hitomi looked over at Yamamoto and grinned. "Yes sir." She smiled when she saw Hitsugaya. "I'm so glad you're okay, Daddy."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "You were worried about me?"

Hitomi laughed. "Of course I was! I…" she broke off and tears formed in her eyes. "I thought you were dead."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Well, I'm not. Stop crying." He wasn't quite sure how to react to his daughter's new body. He knew the old saying of how children grew up fast but this was ridiculous. He was startled when Yamamoto summoned a ring of fire around Aizen, Gin, Tousen, and Hitomi. "Why'd you trap her in there with them!?"

"She'll be fine." Yamamoto answered. "I couldn't announce my plan to her or else Aizen would have avoided it. She's a shinigami, Hitsugaya. She'll be okay."

"Ah, I was right." Aizen smirked. "You are very beautiful all grown up."

Hitomi snarled at him. She really wished the dress she was wearing was a little longer considering it barely went passed her thighs. "Back off, Aizen-jerk. I'm gonna beat all three of you and go home with Daddy!"

Gin laughed. "That's cute. Her body's all grown up but her mind is still like a kids."

"Hitomi-hime," Aizen said quietly and soothingly. "you can't summon your Zanpaktou into this ring of fire. How do you intend to fight us?"

Hitomi bit her tongue. She hadn't thought of that. But, she had to find a way to beat them. Even if she didn't win, she could at least weaken them for her father and the others. Somehow, she would find a way fight.

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**Sorry that it's short guys. How will Hitomi fight the three traitors without losing her own life? Is that even possible? Will she ever be able to go home with her Daddy? Review please!**


	22. Ring of Fire

**Hello! THERE IS A CONTEST POSTED ON MY PROFILE!!! GO CHECK IT OUT, PLEASE!**

**x-x Silver Rain x-x: Teenage Hitomi is about 5'6. Her hair is still blue but goes down to about her knees and is slightly wavy. I hope that helped!**

**Black Wolf Jaganshi Lover: Tousen does have a slight attachment to Hitomi since she is a very pure and innocent person. So, yes, he will have some difficulty fighting her but ultimately, he will do whatever Aizen tells him to.**

**sAppHiRa-hiMe****: Yeah, I kind of rushed through this chapter. Don't worry though; once everything has calmed down, Hitsugaya will freak out. Right now he's a little distracted by all the Espada and such.**

**Thank you all for your reviews!**

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Hitomi made a quick mental note to herself that head on attacks were not a good idea. She winced and rubbed her stomach where Gin had just kicked her.

Gin chuckled. "Aizen-sama, is it okay if I fight her by myself? I think she needs to be taught a lesson in manners."

Aizen smirked. "Be gentle with her."

Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief. If she fought them one-on-one, she'd have a better chance of winning. Not that she had much of a chance to begin with. She needed to think up a plan and fast. Something told her she didn't have much time left in this body. She took on a defensive stance and began muttering under her breath.

"You think I'm gonna let ya use kido on me?" Gin lunged forward and punched Hitomi in the stomach. He then threw her into the wall of fire.

Hitomi screamed. She had never experienced something so painful in her life. She collapsed to her knees as her vision blurred. She was grateful for the ring of fire hiding her from her father. How embarrassed would he be to know it only took a punch and being thrown into a fiery wall to completely immobilize his daughter? She felt her body shrinking and realized she was tiny again.

Tears rolled down her cheeks at the searing pain in her back. She looked up at Gin and frowned as he went in and out of focus. Why did she bother trying to fight? She was nowhere near the level of any of the people present. So why did she make herself suffer? She just wanted to lay down and take a nap.

"Oi, Aizen-sama," Gin laughed "I think we finally broke her. She's just layin' there all quiet like."

Aizen smirked. He walked over to where Hitomi lay and stroked her hair. "I knew you'd see it my way someday."

Hitomi's vision was tunneling. There was something she had wanted to protect but she couldn't remember what it was. What was it that she had been willing to die to protect? Why couldn't she remember?

What was it….?

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**Blah. This chapter's kind of…okay really short and I apologize for that. I haven't been feeling like myself the past couple of days. So if you can all forgive me and just bear with me, I promise I'll get back to writing better. **

**Next week's chapter will begin Hitomi remembering what it is she wants to protect. In other words, flashbacks!! I know ya'll are probably tired of those but I wanted to write more about Hitomi growing up in Soul Society and I didn't do much of that in the beginning. **

**Review please!**


	23. Reason to Fight: Daddy

**Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in 2 weeks! Bad Mei-chan!**

**StardustQueen: Hmmm…pm me your thoughts if you want. I'm curious to see if they match up to who she really is.**

**Sakura02: Shhhh! The others don't need to know that! **

**Once again, thanks so much for being so patient and thank you all for reviewing!**

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"Say Mama!" Matsumoto cooed down at the small baby girl. "Come on, Hitomi, say Mama!"

Hitomi tilted her head to the side. The strange lady that was always around was screaming at her and she wasn't sure why. She hit the ground in front of her to show her annoyance. Where was her daddy?

Renji laughed as Matsumoto pouted. "Give it up. She's not interested in learning to talk right now. Just leave her alone."

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "But a child Hitomi-chan's age should be speaking by now. Ask Unohana-taicho."

"She'll learn when she's good and ready to." Renji growled back.

The two were so busy arguing that neither noticed the small baby crawl out of the room. Hitomi crawled cautiously around Soul Society. She didn't run into the scary fox man or the man with glasses. They both scared her. She just wanted to find her daddy. He had been gone before she woke up. He hadn't even given her a goodbye kiss like he usually did.

"Hitomi-chan, what are you doing out here?" Ukitake frowned sternly at the baby sitting outside his barracks. "Your father is going to be mad at you for making him worry."

Hitomi's face split into a grin and she clapped her hands. She liked this man. She called him the Candy Man in her head because he was always giving candy to her father. She squealed happily as he picked her up. She tugged gently on his hair to show her approval.

Ukitake laughed. "Well, let's go find your father before he has an aneurism." Ukitake peeked in to make sure his two subordinates were distracted and he quickly snuck out. He had barely gotten away from his barracks when Rukia ran up.

Rukia frowned at Ukitake. "What are you doing? You should be resting." She smiled when she saw Hitomi. "What are you doing, Hitomi-chan? Are you causing trouble again."

Hitomi squealed and blew a spit bubble. She loved her Rukia-neechan. She could always say Rukia's name perfectly in her head but when it came to speaking, it generally came out as gibberish. She giggled happily as Rukia took her from Ukitake.

"Ukitake-taicho, you go back and rest." Rukia said and she tickled Hitomi's stomach. "I'll take Hitomi-chan to her father." Rukia smiled down at Hitomi. "Say bye-bye to Ukitake-taicho."

Hitomi waved her chubby arms and blew a spit bubble.

Rukia sighed as she carried Hitomi back to the Tenth Squad barracks. "Hitomi-chan, you can't just wander off like that." Rukia scolded. "What if someone had kidnapped you. It would have made your father very sad."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks up and blew a spit bubble. She wasn't afraid of someone trying to kidnap her. If they did, her daddy would come save her.

"Hitsugaya Hitomi!"

Speaking of her father. Hitomi giggled and held her arms out. She didn't care that her father looked like he wanted to throttle someone.

Rukia smiled nervously at Hitsugaya. "Now, Taicho, she's just a little baby. She doesn't know any better."

"Yeah, Taicho," Matsumoto stuck her head out of the office. "give Hitomi-chan a break."

Hitsugaya glared at the group. "She needs to learn not to run off. What if she had gotten hurt? Or what if someone took her? I bet you all wouldn't be so calm about all of this then."

Hitomi frowned. Her daddy was angry and she knew it had something to do with her. She stretched her arms out as far as they would go but her father wasn't paying any attention to her. She started making noises but he continued to simply ignore her. Her daddy was yelling at Matsumoto now and pointing an angry finger at her.

"Daddy."

The group grew silent and turned to look at the baby in Rukia's arms. Hitomi tilted her head to the side when her father's gaze landed on her. She smiled. "Daddy!"

Matsumoto squealed and clapped her hands together. "Aw, Hitomi-chan said her first word!"

Hitsugaya sighed at the expectant look in Hitomi's blue eyes. He took her from Rukia. "You better start behaving."

Hitomi smiled and held Hitsugaya's index finger in her hand. "Daddy!"

Hitsugaya glared at the group before walking into his office to try and finish his work. He sat at his desk with Hitomi in his lap. He kept his frown in place even with Hitomi constantly tugging on his sleeves and calling him 'Daddy'. Just as he was about to allow a small smile to grace his face, he heard a loud crash. He felt another headache coming on. "Matsumoto!"

"'Tsumoto!!!" Hitomi mimicked.

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**Sorry that it's short guys. The Mei-chan is sleepy and she wants to work on her original story before sleeping. Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


	24. Reason to Fight: Fever

**Two more days until I'm 20! I can hardly wait! One of my friends is buying me a Bronwen Weber cake!**

**biancia: Don't worry, the fighting will return soon. I'm not quite sure when though. I'm just trying to put some distance in between my chapters and the manga so that I don't completely catch up. **

**x-x SilverRain x-x****: I think I said at the end of one of my author's notes that these next few chapters were going to be flashbacks. So yes, these are flashback chapters.**

**Yemi Hikari: Yeah, I just made a rough estimate of everybody's age. I always thought Hitsugaya was an adult since he always only seemed slightly younger than Hinamori in flashbacks of her in the academy. I just kind of made a guess and hoped for the best. I was never quite sure of their aging process so I tried not to make too specific of a time frame for when they got Hitomi.**

**Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed!**

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"Daddy, I don't feel good."

Hitsugaya groaned as he sat up in his bed. He frowned at the small girl silhouetted in his doorway. "What's wrong, Hitomi?"

"It's hot, Daddy." Hitomi whined. She dragged herself over to Hitsugaya's bed and crawled in. She snuggled against her daddy's side. "You're really cold."

Hitsugaya placed a hand on Hitomi's forehead. His frown deepened. "You're burning up." He got out of bed and dressed quickly. He scooped Hitomi up in his arms and carried her out of his room.

"Where're we going, Daddy?" Hitomi whispered. Her throat was hurting her again.

"We're going to see Unohana-taicho." Hitsugaya answered. He carried Hitomi all the way to the 4th division. He walked into the medical center and straight to the front desk. "I need to see Unohana-taicho."

The nurse frowned. "She's very busy right now."

"It's important." Hitsugaya persisted.

Before the nurse could say anything else, Unohana walked up. She smiled warmly at Hitsugaya. "What brings you here at this hour, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Hitomi is sick." Hitsugaya shifted Hitomi in his arms so that Unohana could look at her.

Unohana frowned at Hitomi's flushed appearance. "Let's go get her checked out." She led Hitsugaya down a long hallway and into a small exam room. She motioned for Hitsugaya to sit Hitomi down on the small paper covered table.

Hitomi shifted uncomfortably. Despite the paper on the table, Hitomi could still feel the coldness of the metal beneath her. It felt like her skin was on fire. She was so tired to. She just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Say ah." Unohana instructed. She shined a light into Hitomi's open mouth, using a popsicle stick to hold her tongue down. She hummed as she felt Hitomi's breathing and took her temperature. "She has a fever of 102.4." Unohana said as she cleaned her tools off. She smiled warmly at Hitomi. "Have you been coughing or sneezing a lot recently?"

Hitomi shook her head as she rubbed her throat. "No. My throat just hurts real bad."

Unohana nodded her head thoughtfully. She turned her smile to Hitsugaya. "I believe our little Hitomi has a case of strep throat. I'll prescribe some medicine for her. She'll need to drink plenty of water and get lots of rest." She smiled at Hitomi and smoothed her hair down. "Do you think you can do that?"

Hitomi nodded and smiled at Unohana. "Thank you, Unohana-san." She frowned. "Is the medicine icky medicine?"

Unohana laughed. "Most medicines are. I'm sorry. Can you be a big girl and take your medicine?"

"Will it make my throat stop hurting?" When Unohana gave her an affirmative nod she sighed. "I guess."

Hitsugaya picked Hitomi up and nodded to Unohana. "Thank you." He took the prescription from her and walked back to the 10th division barracks. He tucked Hitomi into his bed. He decided to go and get Hitomi's medicine first thing in the morning. He made himself a comfortable bed on his couch and went to sleep.

He was rudely awoken a few hours later by someone knocking on his door. He groaned as he pulled himself off of the couch. He looked over to make sure Hitomi was still asleep before going to answer the door. He was surprised when he saw who it was.

"Kuchiki-taicho, what brings you here?" Hitsugaya asked.

Byakuya held up a steaming tea cup. "I heard Hitomi was sick. Herbal tea helps with sore throats. May I come in?"

Hitsugaya nodded numbly as he moved to let the noble in.

Byakuya walked over to the edge of the bed. He noticed Hitomi was sleeping so he placed the cup on the bedside table. He turned to leave the room. "Make sure she drinks all of it." With that said, he left.

Hitsugaya walked over to the bed and gently shook Hitomi's shoulders. "Hitomi, you need to wake up. Kuchiki-taicho brought you some tea."

Hitomi groaned as she forced her eyes open. Her throat was killing her. "I don't feel good, Daddy."

Hitsugaya sighed. "I know you don't. Drink this tea. It'll help."

Hitomi took the cup from her father and drank it slowly. The liquid felt like it was coating her throat in a soothing blanket. She smiled. "Can you tell Byakuya-san I said thank you?"

"Yes." Hitsugaya stood up. "I'll be back in a few hours. I'm going to go get your medicine."

Hitomi pouted. "You're gonna leave me all alone?"

"Taicho, is Hitomi-chan okay!?" Matsumoto ran into the room. She ran over to the bed and enveloped Hitomi in a hug. "My poor Hitomi-chan."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Matsumoto will stay with you. I'll be back soon." With that, Hitsugaya left.

Matsumoto smiled at Hitomi. "How are you feeling?"

Hitomi pouted. "Icky."

"Hey, I heard the little princess was sick." Renji poked his head in the room with Kira and Shuuhei right behind him. He pulled a coloring book out from behind his back and Kira waved a box of crayons in the air. "We thought you might get bored so we brought something for you to do."

Shuuhei grinned as he plopped himself down beside the tiny girl. He pulled a small stuffed fox out from behind his back. "I saw this and it made me think of you."

Hitomi smiled as she took the stuffed animal and hugged it tightly. "Thank you, everyone!"

For the next couple of hours, Renji, Kira, Shuuhei, and Matsumoto entertained the sick girl by coloring with her and telling her stories of their days in the academy. Hitomi giggled as Renji and Shuuhei began arguing about which one of them was stronger while Kira simply rolled his eyes.

"Aw, nobody told me there was a party here." Gin grinned from the doorway.

Hitomi stiffened. She glared half-heartedly at the captain. "Go away."

"Now, Hitomi-chan, that's no way to talk to your superior." Aizen tsked.

Momo skipped into the room with a bouquet of sunflowers. "I thought these might make you feel better." She looked around. "Where's Toshiro?"

"Daddy went to get my medicine." Hitomi answered. "And you should call him Hitsugaya-taicho since you're beneath him."

Kira gently whapped Hitomi's head. "Be nice, Hitomi."

Gin laughed. "You're a silly little girl, Hitomi-chan." He nodded to Kira. "I need your help, Kira."

Kira kissed the top of Hitomi's head and left. Aizen and Momo followed shortly after. Both Shuuhei and Renji had to leave as well. The two vice-captains bid goodbye to the sick girl before departing for their own divisions.

For the rest of the day, people were in and out of Hitsugaya's room to see Hitomi. Matsumoto eventually shooed everyone out of the room in order for Hitomi to get some rest. She tucked Hitomi into the bed and laid beside the small girl. "My poor Hitomi-chan."

Hitomi smiled sleepily up at Matsumoto. "Thank you, Matsumoto."

Matsumoto blinked as she smoothed Hitomi's hair down. "What for?"

"You've been taking care of me all day. In all the books I've read, that's what mommies do for their babies. Since I don't have a mommy, Matsumoto is the closest thing I have to a mommy."

Matsumoto smiled as Hitomi curled up beside her and fell asleep. "Okay. I'll be your mommy, Hitomi."

* * *

Hitsugaya returned as the sun was setting. He hadn't meant to be gone so long. After he had gotten Hitomi's medicine, Yamamoto-taicho had requested his assistance. He opened the door to his room and sighed.

Matsumoto and Hitomi were both asleep. Hitomi's face was buried in Matsumoto's stomach and Matsumoto had her arms wrapped protectively around Hitomi. Matsumoto opened her eyes when the door clicked shut. She smiled at Hitsugaya.

"How is she?" Hitsugaya whispered as he sat the medicine down on the table.

Matsumoto sighed. "Her fever is still pretty high."

"Go get some rest." Hitsugaya ushered Matsumoto out of his room and shut the door. He walked over to his bed and gently shook Hitomi's shoulders. "Wake up, Hitomi."

Hitomi whined. She complied though and slowly sat up. She smiled sleepily. "Hi Daddy."

Hitsugaya poured Hitomi's medicine into a spoon and held it to her. "Take this."

Hitomi stuck her tongue out. "No way."

Hitsugaya sighed. "It wasn't a request, Hitomi. It was an order."

Hitomi crossed her arms. "I don't want to."

"If you take the medicine…I'll let you play with my hair." Hitsugaya winced at how Hitomi's eyes sparkled.

"Promise?" Hitomi loved playing with her daddy's hair.

"Yes." Hitsugaya bemoaned his fate as Hitomi happily slurped the medicine down.

Hitomi pulled a brush and bows out from under a pillow. At the raised eyebrow her father gave her, she grinned. "Nemu-chan brought them for me. I got lots of presents today, Daddy."

Hitsugaya would've cried if he was anyone else.

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**Thank you all for being so patient with me! Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	25. Reason to Fight: Ukitake

**Blah. I don't wanna go to work tomorrow! So, I think for the next few chapters will focus on Hitomi's different relationships with the different people in Soul Society.**

**Thank you so much to: Bonds of Hatred, Sakura02, Traitor-Hero, x-x Silver Rain x-x, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, hisanachan, StardustQueen, sAppHiRa-hiMe, bianica, HitsugayaDream, and Orangesz for reviewing!**

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"Ukitake-san, I'm bored." Hitomi pouted as she peeked into the captain's room.

Ukitake smiled as he took another sip of tea. He patted the spot next to him. "Well, what would you like to do?"

Hitomi pondered for a moment before grinning up at the captain. "Let's make cupcakes for my daddy!"

Ukitake chuckled. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Hmm…should we make chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate!" Hitomi screamed excitedly.

"All right then." Ukitake stood up and took Hitomi's hand. He led her to the small kitchen area in the 13th division. He began to pull mixing bowls and ingredients out. He pulled a chair over to the counter for Hitomi to stand on.

"Hey, Ukitake-san," Hitomi said as she cracked the eggs into the batter. "when I grow up can I be in your division? I like playing with you and Rukia-neesan. I could make you tea and I could help Rukia-neesan with paperwork and stuff!"

Ukitake smiled as he began mixing the batter. "That would be nice. Rukia likes it when you come and play."

"I like hanging out with Ukitake-san." Hitomi smiled as they poured the batter into the cupcake tray. "'Cause when Daddy doesn't feel like playing with me, Ukitake-san always does, even if I know I'm a bother to you."

Ukitake glanced up from putting the cupcakes into the oven. He came over and gave Hitomi a very serious look as he picked her up. "Now, you listen to me, you are always welcome here, Hitomi. You always cheer everyone up with your antics. You are never a bother here, do you understand? You are always welcome here."

Hitomi grinned and gave Ukitake a tight hug. "Thank you, Ukitake-san."

Ukitake returned the smile. "Now, what would you like to do while we wait?"

"Let's play checkers!" Hitomi beamed.

Ukitake put her down on the chair. "I'll be back in just a minute."

Hitomi swung her legs back and forth while she hummed happily to herself. She always loved spending time with Ukitake. He was how she imagined a grandfather was supposed to act with his grandchild. He always spoiled her and if her daddy wouldn't give her something, Ukitake most certainly would. He always had candy for her and was always willing to play with her when everyone else was too busy.

Ukitake came back into the room with a beat up checker board and a smile still on his face. He set the game up on the table and then sat across from Hitomi. The two played in relative silence with the occasionally playful jab thrown between the two.

The timer dinged. Hitomi was the first to scramble over to the oven. Without thinking (as most children tend to not), Hitomi stuck her bare hand into the oven. She yelped and held her hand to her chest. She whimpered as she looked at her hand.

It was a bright red already by the time Ukitake reached the sniffling girl. "Come here, Hitomi." He scooped her up into his arms and carried her outside to the small pond. He took her burned hand and placed it into the cool water, all the while murmuring softly to her. "Look at you. You're such a brave girl. You aren't even crying."

Hitomi bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from crying. She wanted to be a brave girl like Ukitake said she was. Her hand was feeling slightly better. She looked up at Ukitake, her eyes wide. "What about my daddy's cupcakes!?"

Ukitake couldn't help it. He laughed. "Hitomi, you could possibly have a third degree burn on your hand and you are worried about your father's cupcakes?"

Hitomi nodded her head rapidly. "Ukitake-san worked really hard to help me make the cupcakes for my daddy! If they got ruined, then you did all that hard work for nothing! Besides, my hand is fine now." She pulled her hand out of the water.

Ukitake was indeed surprised to find that the burn on Hitomi's hand had completely vanished. He decided to ask Hitsugaya if he knew anything about Hitomi's rapid healing ability later. He smiled and ruffled her hair. "All that hard work wouldn't have been for nothing. I got to spend time with you, didn't I?"

The cupcakes weren't horribly burned. They were at least salvageable. Ukitake helped Hitomi to frost and decorate the cupcakes, laughing when she somehow managed to get frosting on her nose. He smiled warmly as Hitomi yawned. "Would you like to take a nap while we wait for your father?"

Ukitake made a small pallet for Hitomi outside on the 13th division's porch. He pulled the thin blanket over her tiny body and smiled as she almost instantly fell asleep. Ukitake smiled as he drank his tea and listened to Hitomi's breathing even out. It had been a good day.

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**Meh. Kind of cheesy ending. It is Ukitake though so I guess it's okay. Review and let me know your thoughts!**


	26. Reason to Fight: Rukia

**This is dedicated to Bri-chan because she was so awesome about working out in the rain today! I wub you!**

**Thank you to: Sakura02, Orangesz, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, StardustQueen, soulobankai, byahnicah, x-x SilverRain x-x, hisanachan, Bonds of Hatred, and LuvsTwilight4-Ever for reviewing!**

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"Kuchiki-nisan, is Rukia-neesan home?" Hitomi asked as she sat beside Byakuya in his room.

Byakuya glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "How'd you get in here?"

Hitomi grinned. "I walked in! Is Rukia-neesan home?" She repeated her question.

Byakuya motioned towards the door. "Second building from here." He went back to enjoying his morning tea.

Hitomi skipped happily out of the room. She ignored the incredulous stares she received from the servants. She paused at the building Byakuya had told her. She took a deep breath before shouting, "Rukia-neesan, can you play with me today!?"

In her room, Rukia sighed. She quickly threw on her uniform and ran out of the room. She smiled at Hitomi. "Good morning, Hitomi. How are you today?"

"Bored! Daddy has to go to a Captain Meeting today so he can't play with me. Will you and Shirayuki-san play with me?"

Rukia blinked, momentarily taken aback. "You mean my Zanpaktou?"

"Yeah! Shirayuki-san!" Hitomi grinned. "She's really nice. Sometimes she'll come talk to me when I'm lonely. So does Wabisuke-chan, but most of the time he looks really sad so I give him lots of hugs. And then…"

"You can speak to other people's Zanpaktou's?" Rukia asked in disbelief.

Hitomi tilted her head to the side. "Is that weird? I thought everyone could talk to each other's Zanpaktou. Am I a freak?"

"No, no!" Rukia quickly grabbed Hitomi's hand and led her away from the Kuchiki residence. "Let's go get some breakfast. I bet you didn't eat any."

Hitomi grinned sheepishly. "Nope. I forgot to."

Rukia smiled and she scooped Hitomi up into her arms. "Silly Hitomi. What would you do if I didn't make sure you ate?"

Hitomi hugged Rukia tightly. "I'd be sad. I like spending time with Rukia-neesan. I wanna be in Rukia-neesan's squad."

"Do you now?" Rukia laughed. "Don't you want to be with your father?"

"But I see Daddy every day!" Hitomi protested. "I barely get to see you or Ukitake!"

"What about Renji? Or Yachiru?" Rukia asked.

"Ah!" Hitomi panicked. "I wanna be with them too! Can't I just be on everyone's squad?"

Rukia laughed again. She did that a lot when Hitomi was around. "No, you can't Hitomi. Don't worry. They'll put you in whatever squad they think best suits you."

"Zabimaru says I should be in the 6th squad with Red and Kuchiki-nisan." Hitomi frowned thoughtfully. "But Kazeshini says I should be in the 9th squad with Shuuhei-nichan."

"Who's Kazeshini?" Rukia asked. They were almost to the little tea house.

"He's Shuuhei-nichan's Zanpaktou. He's really scary at first but after a while, he's really nice!" Hitomi blinked. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Rukia shook her head. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

The two ate breakfast and then headed back to the Kuchiki residence. They spent the rest of the day in Rukia's room coloring or playing games. Hitomi loved spending time with Rukia. She thought that if she had ever had a big sister, that Rukia would be the perfect one. She always played with her, even when Hitomi knew Rukia didn't really want to, and she always answered Hitomi's questions.

Hitomi shifted nervously as she finished drawing a picture of her father. "Rukia-neesan…can you promise not to tell anyone about how I can talk to everyone's Zanpaktou? Shirayuki-san's really mad at me for telling you. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but I really wanted to so I thought I could trust you to not tell anyone."

Rukia blinked. She glanced over at where her Zanpaktou rested in the corner. She had indeed sensed some sort of irritation coming from Shirayuki. She turned to Hitomi and smiled at the watery puppy eyes she was receiving. She held her pinky out. "Your secret is safe with me."

Hitomi blinked the tears from her eyes. She grinned as she linked their pinkies together. Before Rukia could react, Hitomi flung herself across the table and hugged Rukia tightly. "You're the best, Rukia-neesan!"

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**Sorry that it's kind of short. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm feeling kind of blah. Will Rukia keep her promise to Hitomi? Why can Hitomi speak to all the Zanpaktou? Review to find out!**


	27. Reason to Fight: Matsumoto

**I'm so sorry that I just disappeared for a few weeks! You see, I've been writing this original novel for…three years now. I finally had the story down and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I, being the crazy person that I am, decided I wanted to complete the novel before school started in one week. I wrote thirteen chapters in one week guys! I finished the first draft! I was so happy, I cried like a baby. **

**School and work started back up and it has been way too crazy to try and write anything. Now that I've got my schedule down, I'm going to get back to updating! Thank you all for being so patient with me!**

**Thank you: hisanachan, cheeky half-demon, BeautifulXinXBlood, Bonds of Hatred, nightingale101, kRyStAl3aRz, ImJustNutty, x-x Silver Rain x-x, Hatake Tsughi, Illidan the Half Demon, Mistytail, Sakura02, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, byahnicah, and Aiedail's Scepter for the reviews! You guys are awesome and thank you all for being patient with the lack of updates!**

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It was still dark when Hitomi sat bolt right up in her bed. She cried as she slipped out of her bedroom, her white sleeping yukata trailing the floor. She first went to Hitsugaya's room and found him not there. She realized he was most likely in his office still working. Letting out a wail of despair, she shuffled down the hallway. Hitomi stopped in front of Matsumoto's door. "Matsumoto!" She cried.

Matsumoto yawned as she opened the door. "Hitomi, what's wrong?" She knelt down and scooped the still upset girl into her arms. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Uh huh…" Hitomi sniffled as she buried her head in Matsumoto's neck. She breathed deeply and sighed happily as she smelled faint traces of Matsumoto's perfume. "Can I stay with you?"

"Of course!" Matsumoto shut the door behind her and skipped back over to her bed. She tucked Hitomi into the side of the bed closest to the wall before laying down beside the little girl. "What was your dream about?"

Hitomi said nothing for a moment. Instead, she poked Matsumoto's breast. "Your chest is really big. Are mine going to be that big when I grow up?"

Matsumoto burst out laughing. She gently took Hitomi's hands in hers. "Well, I don't know, Hitomi. It depends on your parents."

"Oh…" Hitomi looked at her and Matsumoto's hands thoughtfully. "But, aren't you and Daddy my parents?"

"Well, we aren't Matsumoto burst out laughing. She gently took Hitomi's hands in hers. "Well, I don't know, Hitomi. It depends on your parents."

"Oh…" Hitomi looked at her and Matsumoto's hands thoughtfully. "But, aren't you and Daddy my parents?"

"Well, we aren't your real parents." Matsumoto answered almost apologetically. Happiness swelled inside of her just knowing that Hitomi considered her to be her mother.

"But," Hitomi's lower lip was trembling. "you and Daddy raised me. Doesn't that make you my mommy and daddy?"

"Oh, sweetie, don't cry." Matsumoto cooed. "Of course Taicho is your daddy and I'm really happy that you think of me as your mommy. Now, what was it you dreamed about?"

"I…don't really remember." Hitomi answered truthfully. She tugged her hands away from Matsumoto's and began to play with the vice-captain's long red hair. "I want my hair to be long like yours…"

Matsumoto sighed. It seemed like Hitomi didn't really want to talk about her nightmare. Instead, she ran her hands through Hitomi's shoulder length hair. "Your hair's getting longer. I'll help you take care of it, okay?"

The two were silent after that. Matsumoto smiled and closed her eyes as Hitomi's playing with her hair slowed. She could feel the small girl's breath evening out. She was almost about to fall asleep when Hitomi began to speak again.

"There was a lot of blood." Hitomi whispered. "There was a scary person looking for something…he was looking for a key. I was scared 'cause everyone was screaming and then a lady made me eat a shiny golden thing and then the scary person killed her and then I woke up." She began to cry again.

Matsumoto held the small girl closer to her and cooed softly. She rained kisses on the girl's head, cheeks, and nose. "Don't cry. Don't cry. It's okay. It was just a bad dream."

"My tummy hurts." Hitomi cried.

"Do you want to go see Unohana-taicho?" Matsumoto asked softly. At the affirmative nod from the small girl, she sat up and carried Hitomi to the 4th squad healing center.

Unohana smiled at the two as they entered. "My goodness, what are you two doing here so early this morning."

Matsumoto blinked. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 3 in the morning. She sighed tiredly. "Hitomi had a bad dream and now she's saying her stomach is hurting."

Unohana smiled gently. "Why don't you come with me, Hitomi-chan?"

"I want Matsumoto to come too." Hitomi whimpered.

"Of course." Unohana led the two to an empty exam room.

Matsumoto held Hitomi in her lap as Unohana checked the small girl over. As she sat there, she mulled over Hitomi's dream. It was a rather strange dream, to say the least. She could feel her Zanpaktou becoming highly agitated, which was very strange.

"It's okay…I'm okay…" Hitomi whispered softly as she gently touched Haineko.

Matsumoto raised an eyebrow as she felt Haineko calm down. "Hitomi, you…"

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Hitomi-chan." Unohana smiled. "It could simply be a reaction to her dream." She smoothed Hitomi's hair down. "I can give you some medicine to calm your stomach down. Would you like that?"

"Yes ma'am." Hitomi said softly, her hand still on Haineko.

After Unohana brought Hitomi her medicine, Matsumoto walked back to the 10th division barracks with Hitomi clutching her hand. She smiled down at the small girl as the little girl yawned. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." Hitomi smiled up at Matsumoto. "Thank you."

Matsumoto tilted her head to the side. "For what?"

"For taking me to see Unohana-san." Hitomi yawned again as they reached Matsumoto's room. She crawled into the bed and pulled the covers back over her head.

Matsumoto laid down next to Hitomi and grinned. "That's what mommies do for their babies." She pulled the covers back and saw that Hitomi was already asleep. She smiled and kissed Hitomi's forehead. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful little girl."

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**Sorry this was a few days late! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Review and let me know your thoughts.**


	28. Reason to Fight: Shuuhei

**Damn mosquito bites…30 and counting.**

**Sakura02: Yeah…you know how I told you there were only gonna be like two more filler chapters…well…there's actually a couple more than just two…**

**Aidail's Scepter: I'm very curious as to what your suspicions are…pm if you feel like it.**

**Thank you: kRyStAlt3aRz, Black-Chan, Arcee-chan, sAppHiRa-hiMe, hisanachan, Bonds of Hatred, ImJustNutty, 030artastic, Hatake Tsughi, and Illidan the Half Demon for their reviews! **

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"Shuuhei!!!!"

Shuuhei barely had time to brace himself before a blur of blue tackled him to the ground. He grinned and hugged the little shinigami tightly. "What're you doing here, Hitomi? Does your dad know where you are?" He asked nervously, looking anxiously around for the cranky captain.

"No…he's busy working." Hitomi pouted. "I'm so bored, Shuuhei. Will you play with me?"

"How can I say no to that face?" Shuuhei grinned and ruffled her hair. "What do you want to do?"

Hitomi thought for a moment before a bright smile split across her face. "Can we make origami cranes for Ukitake? He's not feeling good again."

"All right." Shuuhei took Hitomi's hand and led her back to his office. He rummaged around in his desk until he found the origami paper he always kept in case  
Hitomi wanted some. This was not the first time the two had made paper cranes together.

As Hitomi sat in Shuuhei's lap and started on her first paper crane, she frowned thoughtfully. "Shuuhei, how come my daddy doesn't like you?"

"Eh…" Shuuhei nervously folded the paper in his hands. "I may have said something about you that he didn't like. But, you have to understand," He added hastily when Hitomi looked up at him. "I was very drunk and wasn't thinking when I spoke."

"You mean like Matsumoto?" Hitomi asked.

"Exactly!" Shuuhei answered. "Just like Matsumoto."

"What'd you say?" Hitomi was now on her fifth crane.

"Well, I may have said that you would be…attractive when you grew up." Shuuhei decided to slightly alter his statement at the last moment.

"So…you said I'd be pretty when I grew up and that upset Daddy?" Hitomi pouted. "Daddy doesn't think I'll be pretty when I grow up?"

"No, no!" Shuuhei hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. "I think your daddy knows you're going to be very pretty and he's worried about that."

Hitomi giggled as Shuuhei gave her butterfly kisses on her cheek. "Why would that make Daddy worry?"

"Well, when you get older, he's going to have to beat up all the boys that try and date you." Shuuhei answered, resuming his task of making paper cranes.

"What's dating?" Hitomi grinned triumphantly at her slowly growing pile of paper cranes.

Shuuhei took his time answering. Hitsugaya was going to murder him in his sleep, he just knew it. "Dating is when a man in a woman…or sometimes a man and a man or a woman and a woman…you don't need to worry about that. Anyways, when one person and another person really like each other, they go out together and do…romantic things together."

"Like what?" Hitomi asked, not noticing how nervous Shuuhei was becoming.

"Well…they…hold hands, hug each other, and kiss…stuff like that." Shuuhei prayed Hitomi would stop asking questions.

Hitomi turned around in Shuuhei's lap and looked at him. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Does that mean we're dating?"

Shuuhei sputtered for a moment. "N-No, Hitomi. We most certainly aren't."

Hitomi pouted. "But…but you said people that date hold hands, hug, and kiss. You always hold my hand and give me hugs and kisses!"

"That's different, Hitomi. Dating is something older people do." Shuuhei answered patiently. "You're too little to date."

"So, when I'm older, I can date?" Hitomi tapped her chin. When Shuuhei nodded, she grinned at him. "When I get older, can we date? I really like you. More than I like anybody else beside Daddy and Matsumoto. So, will you date me when I get older?"

Shuuhei chuckled and ruffled Hitomi's hair. "How about this? If when you get older and you can't find anybody else, I'll date you."

"The hell you will."

"Daddy!" Hitomi squealed and ran over to her father, hugging him tightly. "Guess what! Shuuhei helped me make paper cranes for Ukitake and then he promised me we'd date when I get older!"

Hitsugaya glared darkly over at Shuuhei. "We'll be talking later."

Shuuhei waved nervously to Hitomi as Hitsugaya led the little girl out. On the inside, he was crying like a small child from sheer terror.

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**It's short, I know. I'm very sleepy and it's naptime for the Mei-chan. Review and let me know your thoughts!**


	29. Reason to Fight: Byakuya

**I can't feel my legs. I'm not sure if that's bad or not. This semester is almost over! It needs to hurry up and end! On the plus side, Saw VI is this Friday! I can't wait!**

**Sakura02: Haha, you know me, I never plan ahead. I figure it out as I go along.**

**byahnicah: Hmm…I believe there are four more chapters (counting this one) before we get back to the fight.**

**Thank you: cheeky half-demon, Orangesz, lelouchgurl, hisanachan, Pikachuwolffox4, ImJustNutty, Aiedail's Scepter, kRyStAlt3aRz, Illidan the Half Demon, Hatake Tsughi, Insane-Tatsu, and Bonds of Hatred for your reviews!**

"Byakuya!!!"

The 6th division captain turned around and saw a blue blur hurtling towards him. He braced himself and caught the small girl in his arms. "What are you doing, Hitomi?"

Hitomi beamed up at the nobleman. "I wanted to say thank you for the tea when I was sick!"

"Oh…well…it was no trouble." Byakuya gently put Hitomi back on the ground. "I see you're feeling better."

"Yup!" Hitomi looked curiously up at Byakuya for a moment. "Hey, Byakuya, can I stay with you today?"

Byakuya was afraid to ask. "Why?"

"Well, I kind of upset Daddy." Hitomi shuffled her feet nervously. "I didn't mean to spill the tea all over his paperwork! It was an accident! Please, Byakuya?" Hitomi pleaded. "I'll be good, I promise."

Byakuya sighed. "I don't want to hear a sound from you." He turned on his heels at Hitomi's excited squeal. He looked down briefly when he felt Hitomi take his hand in hers. He led the small shinigami to the 6th division office and sat her down at a small table right by his desk. Byakuya put a blank piece of paper on the table and box of crayons in front of Hitomi that he kept for cases like this. "No noise."

Hitomi smiled happily as she doodled a picture on the table. She liked these—very rare—occasions when Byakuya would allow her to sit in his office with him. She rather liked spending time with the stoic captain. "Hey, Byakuya, can we have some tea?"

"I thought I said no noise." Byakuya sent a hell butterfly to Renji to bring the two tea. He resumed his paperwork and didn't even look up when Renji brought the tea in.

Hitomi grinned. "Thanks, Red!" Hitomi sipped happily at her tea and went back to drawing her picture.

Byakuya would occasionally check on the little girl out of the corner of his eye. When he saw she was running low on her tea, he gave her the rest of his. When she was running out of paper, he gave her more.

"All done!" Hitomi crowed happily. She held up her picture proudly.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked, not even bothering to remind her she promised to not make any noise.

"It's the sakura trees!" Hitomi said proudly. "I drew it for you 'cause I know you like sakura trees so much." She held the picture out to him.

Byakuya looked at the picture for a moment before looking at Hitomi's excited blue eyes. "For me?"

"Uh huh!"

"Why?" Byakuya asked.

Hitomi smiled brightly. "'Cause you're so nice to me and I know you don't like when your work gets interrupted but you let me stay and you gave me your tea. So it's a thank you picture!"

Byakuya could feel the corners of his mouth trying to twitch up. He took the picture from Hitomi and placed it besides his paperwork. He looked up when he heard Hitsugaya's angry voice coming towards his office. He looked at Hitomi and motioned her under his desk. He hid the crayons just as Hitsugaya stormed in. "What can I do for you, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Have you seen Hitomi?" Hitsugaya asked.

"I haven't." Byakuya watched Hitsugaya leave. "You're safe now."

Hitomi crawled out from under his desk. "Thank you, Byakuya." She ran towards the door of his office. She looked back and smiled. "I'll draw you another picture soon, okay?"

Byakuya nodded as Hitomi disappeared out of his office. He looked down at the picture Hitomi had left him. He picked it up and looked at it for a moment before deciding to hang it up on the wall behind his desk. He allowed himself to smile as he went back to his paperwork.

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**I know it's short! So sorry about that. Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


	30. Reason to Fight: Zanpaktou

**Well, I'm back guys! Thank you all for being so patient and not devouring my soul. **

**Holy cheese monkeys!! This story now has over 300 reviews! You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for your continued support!**

**Sakura02: Everything reminds you of Hibari :)**

**ImJustNutty: Yes, well, college does like to throw a lot of work my way which makes it difficult to update as consistently. The fighting is going to start soon. I'm trying to put more space in between this story and the manga so I don't catch up. As for the reason she wants to fight, it's because Aizen is trying to take over the world.**

**Illidan the Half Demon: Lol. Everyone knows Byakuya secretly has a stick up his butt.**

**LegalAddiction20: Actually, Sakura02 and I have discussed doing the filler arc and we've decided that we'll do it once everything with Aizen is wrapped up.**

**Sybil Corvax: 3 Thank you**

**Black-Chan: Well, it's rather difficult to picture Hitsugaya being laid back. He's a very tense young man and I can't see him being very mellow.**

**Thanks: cheeky half-demon, hisanachan, SugarLandBabyGirl, Orangesz, flora236, Aiedail's Scepter, Haruna Uchiha, kRyStAlt3aRz, Sayuri, Hatake Tsughi, tetnai, nisackori, Sweet Nightmare's Good Byes, Bonds of Hatred, Pikachuwolffox4, Akuma Hana, and Harley Pendragon for reviewing! You guys totally psyche me up!**

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Hitomi sighed. She couldn't sleep. The strange dreams had returned full force and wouldn't let her be. The young shinigami sat up in her bed and looked out her window at the full moon hanging in the sky.

"Can't sleep, brat?"

"Kazeshini, don't talk to her like that!"

"All of you, please, keep your voices down."

Hitomi giggled as the souls of the Zanpaktous appeared in her room. She smiled as Kazeshini began to argue with Haineko and Shirayuki reprimanded them. She waved as Wabisuke appeared along with Senbonzakura, Zabimaru, and most of the 11th division Zanpaktou. She frowned when she saw Tobiume but said nothing. Hitomi's face lit up though when she saw the stoic, silent figure of Hyōrinmaru. She held her arms out and smiled as he obediently walked over and held her in his arms. She really tried her hardest not to play favorites with the Zanpaktou but she couldn't help it when it came to Hyōrinmaru.

Shirayuki smiled and sat at the edge of Hitomi's bed while Hitomi remained nestled in Hyōrinmaru's arms. "Are your dreams troubling you again?"

"Uh huh." Hitomi buried her face in Hyōrinmaru's chest. For as long as she remembered, she had always been able to see the Zanpaktou of other shinigami and speak to them. The Zanpaktou hadn't seemed very surprised but they made her swear to never tell anyone about her ability. "It was a lot more bloodier though."

"Blood is good." Kazeshini cackled. He snarled when Haineko smacked him in the head. "I'll kill you bi—."

"No cussing in front of Hitomi-sama!" Tobiume shrieked. "How dare you taint her ears with such vile language."

Senbonzakura rolled his eyes. "You need your rest, Hitomi-sama. If you don't get enough sleep, you won't perform well on your test."

Haineko laughed. "Don't worry about my cute Hitomi-chan. She can handle anything."

Zabimaru nodded in agreement. "She'll run circles around all those other losers!"

"But if she doesn't get enough sleep, she won't grow up to be a beautiful young lady." Kujaku bemoaned.

Hozukimaru rolled his eyes. "Who cares? As long as she's a good fighter, that's all that matters."

"Be that as it may," Minazuki said softly, "a child Hitomi-sama's age should have 10 hours of sleep each night."

"Everyone, I think we should keep our voices down. If we continue to talk loudly, Hitomi-sama won't be able to go back to sleep." Wabisuke muttered.

Hitomi giggled as she listened to all the voices around her. Their presences made her feel safe and loved. She looked up at Hyōrinmaru and smiled reassuringly at the worried look on his face. "I'm okay. I just don't want to go back to sleep right now. If I do, I'll see that lady die again." She looked over at the Zanpaktou crowded around her bed, zeroing in on one in particular. "Will you tell me a story, Senbonzakura?"

Senbonzakura sighed. He had been waiting for Hitomi to request a story. "Of course, Hitomi-sama."

"Yay!" Haineko crowed. "Story time with Senbonzakura!"

Hyōrinmaru shifted so his back was against Hitomi's headboard and the small child was nestled snuggly in his lap. Shirayuki took up her regular place right beside him, holding Hitomi's hands in one of hers and running a hand through Hitomi's bed hair. The rest of the Zanpaktou sat on the floor close to the bed, looking like eager children while Senbonzakura sat at the edge of Hitomi's bed.

As Senbonzakura told the story of a beautiful palace in the sky, Hitomi felt herself drifting back to sleep. She wanted to stay awake for the whole story since it was her favorite but she was more tired than she had originally thought. Her head nodded to the side and she fell asleep.

Hyōrinmaru carefully stood up and tucked the small girl back into her bed. He moved out of the way as the other Zanpaktou stepped forward to say their goodnights to Hitomi. Tobiume and Wabisuke each kissed one of her hands while Kujaku kissed her left cheek and Zabimaru kissed her right. As each said their goodnights, they disappeared back to their master's rooms. Finally, only Haineko, Shirayuki, and Hyōrinmaru remained.

Haineko grinned and kissed Hitomi's nose. "Goodnight, my adorable Hitomi-chan. I know you'll pass your shinigami test." She waved goodbye to the two remaining Zanpaktou before disappearing.

Shirayuki smiled as she knelt beside Hitomi's bed. She kissed the top of Hitomi's head and tucked her covers in more snuggly. "Have sweet dreams the rest of the night."

Finally, only Hyōrinmaru remained. He sat beside her bed and stared at her for a moment. He had been shocked the first time Hitomi, as a little baby, had reached out to him. He kissed her forehead and almost smiled at the way she wrinkled her nose at the cold kiss. He stood up and began to disappear. "Sleep well, Hitomi."

Hitomi rolled onto her side and opened her eyes briefly. She smiled sleepily as her skin was tingling from where she had received all of her goodnight kisses. She sighed and closed her eyes again, falling into a deep and peaceful sleep.

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…**.-dies-. Oh my gosh! There were so many Zanpaktou!! I felt like crying!! For those of you who are curious about which Zanpaktou goes to which shinigami, here's a list:**

**Hyōrinmaru-Hitsugaya**

**Shirayuki-Rukia**

**Haineko-Matsumoto**

**Kazeshini-Shuuhei**

**Tobiume-Momo**

**Kujaku-Yumichika**

**Hozukimaru-Ikkaku**

**Senbonzakura-Byakuya**

**Zabimaru-Renji**

**Minazuki-Unohana**

**Wabisuke-Kira**

**Okay…I think that's everybody I mentioned…next update will be the last of the fillers and then we shall get back to the blood and fighting! Please review guys!**


	31. Reason to Fight: Daddy 2

**Sorry for the long wait guys! This is it, the last filler before we get back to the fighting and main story line. Thank you all for being so patient with me.**

**Sakura02: I better get my 'aw, this is cute review'.**

**Sayuri: Yes, they are generally portrayed as animals in the show. However, they are currently airing a filler arc in which the Zanpaktou are in human form and that's what I'm basing them off of. **

**Thanks: Bonds of Hatred, Illidan the Half Demon, flora236, Hatake Tsughi, Akuma Hana, Sweet Nightmare's Good Byes, hisanachan, Aiedail's Scepter, Lady Spirituelle, Orangesz, Pikachuwolffox4, 030artastic, and Sybil Corvax for reviewing.**

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"Daddy, why didn't you wake me up this morning?" Hitomi whined as she entered Hitsugaya's room. She blinked when she heard coughing and sniffling coming from underneath the large blankets. "Daddy?"

"Go away, Hitomi." Hitsugaya's muffled voice answered.

Hitomi walked over to the edge of the bed. "What's wrong, Daddy?" She pulled the covers back and found a very irritated, very sick looking Hitsugaya. Gently, she placed her tiny hand against his forehead and frowned. "Your burning up!"

"Not so loud." Hitsugaya groaned.

"What should I do?" Hitomi began to panic. She had never had to take care of a sick person before. "Daddy, what should I do?"

Hitsugaya sighed. "I'm thirsty."

Hitomi blinked. "Um…okay…" Her eyes lit up. "I'll be right back!" She knew just the person she could go to. She bolted around until she burst through the doors of the 6th division office. "Byakuya, Daddy is sick and is thirsty! Can I have some tea?"

Byakuya slowly looked up from his paperwork. He glanced at the brand new cup of hot tea that he had just recently received. He then turned his attention to the clearly distraught small girl in his doorway and sighed. "Here." He held the tea out to her.

"Thank you, Byakuya!" She took the tea from him and quickly ran back to Hitsugaya's room. She quietly crept over to the bed. "Daddy," she whispered. "I brought you some tea."

Hitsugaya groggily poked his head out from under the covers. "Thanks, Hitomi." Hitsugaya croaked out. He gratefully took the tea and sat up. He sipped slowly at the tea before looking at back at Hitomi. "You can go now. I'll be fine."

"No way!" Hitomi said defiantly. "You always take care of me when I get sick so now it's my turn to take care of you."

For the rest of the day, Hitomi ran errands for Hitsugaya. She was constantly begging Ukitake for tea, Unohana for medicine, and even making sure Matsumoto stayed on task with her paperwork (Shuuhei and the others found it hilarious when a tiny child would drag Matsumoto back to work).

"You need to eat, Daddy." Hitomi said as she put a new cool washcloth on Hitsugaya's forehead. "Unohana-san said if you don't eat, it'll make you even sicker 'cause you need energy and stuff."

The mere thought of food made Hitsugaya's stomach churn. "I don't think so."

Hitomi frowned. "You have to eat though…I'll make you some chicken noodle soup!" She exclaimed. "That's what Matsumoto makes me when I'm sick!" Before Hitsugaya could say anything, Hitomi had skipped out of the room.

"Where am I going to find someone who knows how to make chicken noodle soup." Hitomi bemoaned. She squeaked as she suddenly bumped into someone.

"What are you doing, Hitomi?" Kira asked with a soft smile on his face.

"Kira, I gotta make chicken noodle soup for my daddy 'cause he's sick. Can you help me?" Hitomi pleaded. She didn't wait for the confused shinigami to answer and instead dragged him to the 10th division kitchen.

Despite being forcibly dragged off to help the young girl, Kira helped her pour the contents of chicken noodle soup from the can and into the pot. He smiled at the look of pure concentration on Hitomi's face. "You really love Hitsugaya-taicho, don't you."

Hitomi nodded but her eyes never strayed from the pot of soup. "Of course. He's my daddy and he always takes care of me when I'm sick so now I'm taking care of him." Satisfied that the soup was warm enough, Hitomi poured (with Kira's help) the soup into a bowl. "See ya later, Kira."

Hitsugaya sat up when he heard the door open. "Where were you?"

"I made you soup." Hitomi answered. She placed the bowl on the nightstand beside the bed and then sat beside Hitsugaya. Carefully lifting a spoonful of the hot soup, Hitomi blew on the hot liquid before pressing the spoon to Hitsugaya's lips. "Eat."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. If he didn't feel so horrible, he would've chastised the young girl for ordering him around. Instead, he decided the soup did smell rather delicious. With a half-hearted glare, he took the spoon of soup.

Hitomi smiled as she continued to feed her father. As soon as the bowl was empty, Hitomi forced the captain to lay back down. "Now you need to sleep." She said quietly as she tucked Hitsugaya back in.

"I'm not a kid you know." Hitsugaya grumbled. Although, he was rather tired.

"I know. You're my daddy." Hitomi crawled into the bed next to Hitsugaya. "I just wanna take care of you like you've taken care of me." She yawned. Taking care of somebody was hard work. "I love you, Daddy." She said sleepily.

Hitsugaya waited until she had nodded off to sleep before tucking her under the covers as well. He then yawned and fell back asleep. He would never admit it to anyone, but having Hitomi take care of him had made him feel _slightly_ better.

* * *

"Oi, Aizen-sama," Gin sneered. "it seems our pretty princess is waking up."

Hitomi stood up on shaky legs, holding her Zanpaktou out in front of her. "I won't let you hurt my family anymore!"

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**Yay! No more fillers! Please review!**


	32. Short Chapter

**Happy New Year and thank you all for being so patient with me!**

**Aidail's Scepter: Lol, unfortunately there are no Hitomi plushies in circulation. **

**Sakura02: And you know that was the last cute thing that's going to happen for a while. It's emo sailing from here on.**

**flora236: I'm ready for Aizen to get his butt kicked too.**

**Black-chan: No, I've never heard of trickster before. What is it?**

**Sun Geisha: Actually, pedophile is used for both boys and girls. Lolicon is used in Japan and does mean an older person likes little girls. The opposite of Lolicon is Shotacon and is used to describe someone attracted to little boys in Japan. **

**Thank you: Bonds of Hatred, 030artastic, Illidan the Half Demon, TheEvilMuffinToaster, Akuma Hana, Sweet Nightmare's Good Byes, DarkAngelNeko666, hisanachan, TheUnknownWriter1111, treia, Hatake Tsughi, and SugarFiend for reviewing!**

* * *

Hitomi frowned. She was back in her normal form. Being small did have it's advantages though. When Gin came at her she managed to slip under his legs. There was no way she was going to let them touch her again. All she could do for now was dodge and avoid the three men. She froze when she felt someone's presence disappear. "Ulquiorra…"

Aizen saw the opportunity to attempt to once again apprehend Hitomi. As he reached for Hitomi, she noticed him at the last moment and stumbled backwards.

Hitomi squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel the hot, searing flames engulf her at any moment. She opened them slowly when she felt no pain. She crowed in triumph when she saw she was outside the ring of fire.

"Hitomi!"

"Daddy!" Hitomi screamed and flew over to Hitsugaya. She hugged him tightly and cried. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

"That's enough!" Hitsugaya held Hitomi closed to him. He had meant to sound much firmer when he snapped at Hitomi but just being able to see her and hold her took the edge from his voice. "Thank god you're okay…"

"Daddy, are you crying?" Hitomi asked as she looked up at Hitsugaya.

"No!" Hitsugaya quickly turned his head away, embarrassed. "Why the hell would I be crying?"

"Hitomi!!!" Matsumoto squealed. She ran over and took the small girl from Hitsugaya. She nuzzled the girl's cheek. "My baby is okay!"

Hitomi giggled. "Hi, Matsumoto." She looked around and frowned. "Where's Shuuhei and Kira and Renji and Ikkaku and Yumichika and…"

"Don't worry about that right now." Ukitake cut her off, seeing no end in sight to her rambling. He smiled warmly at her. "I'm so glad to see you're all right."

"Hitomi," Yamamoto glanced over at the small girl. "Go help the ones at the pillars."

Hitomi tilted her head to the side as she was currently being squished between Matsumoto and Ukitake. "Okay." She hugged Matsumoto and Ukitake one more time. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Daddy." She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Be careful." Hitsugaya warned.

"I know." Hitomi sighed in exasperation. She didn't know who was where so she decided to head off in a random direction and help whomever she came across.

"Ah, ah, ah, Hitomi-hime." An Arrancar cooed. She smiled as she floated in front of Hitomi. "You need to come back with us to Hueco Mundo."

"No way!" Hitomi summoned her Zanpaktou and glared at the Arrancar. "I'm never going back there! I'm going home with my Daddy!"

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**Blah…kind of short. I'm trying to figure out what I want Hitomi to do so the next chapter will be longer. Review!!**


	33. The Pillars

**Sorry I was gone for so long! I got sick, then school started, my grandfather has cancer, and now my work decided to cut my hours from 4 to 2 1/2! I'm trying to remain positive though so thank you all for being so patient with me!**

**Illidan the Half Demon: Yeah…for the sake of moving the story forward, it's just a random Arrancar that will be taken care of promptly at the beginning of this chapter.**

**Sakura02: Ha, true. There's also going to be some cute scenes in this one so the cuteness hasn't died yet!**

**Rei-Chandaichi: As soon as Kubo-sensei responds to my letter, I'll let you know.**

**Sun Geisha: I knew it off the top of my head because I watch a lot of Law and Order. I learned Shotacon from an anime called Haunted Junction and they mentioned Lolicon in there. **

**Black-chan: If you remember your questions, don't hesitate to ask them this go around :)**

**Thanks to: 030artastic, vivvy09, LuvAnime4-Ever, I-Love-Manga1804, Akuma Hana, ., Aiedail's Scepter, Sayonara, Yasashii Akumu, hisanachan, XangelwingsXX, Bonds of Hatred, Haruna Uchiha, Animuze, Icealeena, and IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo for reviewing!**

* * *

Hitomi rolled her eyes as the Arrancar fell before her. Really, that had been much too easy. Focused once again on her task at hand, Hitomi continued forward to where she felt a very familiar presence. "Shuuhei!"

Shuuhei grinned as Hitomi flew into his arms. He hugged her just as tightly as she hugged him. "There's my little piece of sky!" He tilted her face up so she was looking at him. "Did he hurt you!? Did he touch you in any no-no places!?"

Hitomi blinked before giggling. "You're silly, Shuuhei." She didn't feel like mentioning to him that Aizen had liked touching her a little too much. "I'll only ever let Shuuhei touch me!"

Shuuhei barely had time to dodge a pillar of ice flying at him. He chuckled nervously. "Please don't say things like that, Hitomi. You're going to get me killed."

"Ah, are you over there, Hitomi-chan!?"

Hitomi grinned as she waved a small dot to her right in the distance.

"Yumichika!!"

"Oi, you better not get kidnapped again, brat!" Ikkaku barked from her left.

Hitomi stuck her tongue out though she knew he couldn't see it. She squinted ahead of her and grinned when she saw whom was at the last pillar. "Hi, Kira!"

"My, this seems to be a rather happy scene." An Arrancar appeared in front of Shuuhei and Hitomi. He inclined his head towards Hitomi. "Hitomi-hime, I must request that you return with me back to Aizen-sama."

"No way." Hitomi shuddered out. Her grip on the front of Shuuhei's uniform tightened. "I'm going home with my family."

"That's right." Shuuhei placed a comforting hand on top of Hitomi's head. "You aren't taking her from us again."

The Arrancar inclined his head. "Might I inquire as to what your rank is?"

Shuuhei put Hitomi on the ground. "I'm the lieutenant of the 9th division."

The Arrancar nodded slowly. "Then, I shall fight at the same level as a lieutenant as well."

"Hitomi, go somewhere safe." Shuuhei urged. He frowned as Hitomi gripped his pant leg tightly. "Hitomi…"

"I'm not leaving." She puffed out her cheeks to show her determination. "Ji-chan said I should come and help you. So, I'm not leaving no matter what you say."

Shuuhei sighed. "You're really stubborn." He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw an Arrancar heading towards Yumichika's location. "Go help Yumichika for now. When you're done helping him, you can come back and help me, okay?"

Hitomi bit her lip thoughtfully. She yanked him down until she could reach his face. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Be careful."

Shuuhei once again barely dodged ice being shot at him. "I didn't do it!"

Hitomi glanced at the Arrancar facing Shuuhei. She gave him a death glare before heading towards Yumichika's location.

* * *

**I know I've been gone a long time and that this is rather short but bear with me! The next one will hopefully be longer!**


	34. Yumichika

**I'm so sorry I've been gone for a couple of weeks. My grandfather passed away on February 28 at 2:12 in the morning. My entire family was in the hospital all that day before and until he died. I've needed these couple of weeks to recoup and get my life back in order. **

**Thank you all for your patience and not chopping my head off!**

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Please don't** **steal my keyboard!!!**

**Aiedail's Scepter: Hm, I hadn't ever thought of that before. I'm not sure whether I'll use the idea or not.**

**Sun Geisha: I actually do have a life. You can learn the term pedophile from not just TV shows but watching the news or reading a newspaper as well. As for the Shota and Lolita complexes, I've been watching anime since I was in 4****th**** grade so it's just something that I've come across in a few episodes. I rarely watch TV now due to being in college and working. **

**Black-chan: Who do I think I'm most like in Bleach? Hmmm…maybe Rukia? **

**Thank you: Animuze, Sakura02, Ilidan the Half Demon, flora236, Icealeena, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, Akuma and Tenshi Hana, Hatake Tsughi, toshiro'sgurl, XangelwingsXX, hisanachan, Krakengirl, Rakuen91, and tigergirl93 for reviewing!**

* * *

"Yumichika!" Hitomi squealed as she flew at the shinigami and latched onto him. "Yumichika! Yumichika! Yumichika!"

"Oh, my cute Hitomi-chan is all right!" Yumichika grinned as he nuzzled his cheek with hers.

"All right, if I could have your attention please! Charlotte Coolhorn is here!" A…strange Arrancar appeared and winked at the two.

Yumichika quickly turned his back on Charlotte and covered Hitomi's eyes. "Don't taint your eyes with something so disgusting." He closed his eyes tightly as Charlotte began dancing in front of his face. "I don't look at ugly things."

Hitomi squeaked as Yumichika dropped her due to being slapped by Charlotte. Her eyes widened as she fully took in Charlotte's appearance. She sat on the ground and watched with mild interest as the two hurled insults at each other. She crawled away as the two began crossing swords.

"Hitomi-chan, tell him he's ugly!" Yumichika whined.

"Hitomi-hime's heart is pure and she knows that those that judge others are ugly, right Hitomi-hime!?" Charlotte screeched.

"I'm going to sit over here and let you guys do your thing." Hitomi quickly walked away and sat further away from the two. "You guys keep on fighting." She sighed as she watched the two fighting and hurling insults at each other. "It's like watching children fight…"

"Hitomi-hime, how can you desire to go back with this judgmental, hateful, fugly person!?" Charlotte wailed as he pointed accusingly at Yumichika.

"Ha, my poor Hitomi-chan most have been so terrified with such fugly people surrounding her." Yumichika snarled.

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "I really don't see why Shuuhei sent me over here. I'd rather be helping him." She muttered.

Charlotte sighed. "Hitomi-hime is far to kind to be cruel to someone as fugly as you. She cannot bear to destroy your fugly heart."

Yumichika raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the same Hitomi-chan that's sitting over there?"

Charlotte simply ignored Yumichika's comment. He pointed his sword at him. "The only way to settle this is that whoever survives is the most beautiful."

"Fine by me." Yumichika smirked. "I can prove I'm more beautiful and more powerful."

"You better win, Yumichika." Hitomi huffed. "I want to go home soon and we can't do that until you guys win."

Yumichika flashed Hitomi a bright smile. "Don't worry, Hitomi-chan! I'll finish this guy off so you and I can have a spa day!" He sang.

Hitomi was about to respond when Charlotte's power suddenly increased. She watched in horror as Charlotte knocked Yumichika clear off the building. She ran over to the side and looked over in horror. "Yumichika!"

Charlotte cam over beside her and peered over the side as well. "Ah, it seems I may have over done it…" He held his sword behind his back as Yumichika attacked him from behind.

"Hitomi-chan, stay back." Yumichika hissed.

Hitomi noticed that his left arm was hanging limply at his side. "B-But your arm…"

"Don't worry about me." Yumichika panted out. "I won't lose to someone with such an ugly haircut."

Hitomi wasn't quite sure what triggered Charlotte's rage but she was nearly blown off the roof of the building as he released his Zanpaktou. She grabbed the edge of the building and scrambled back up in time to see Charlotte's released form. Her eyes widened in sheer shock and then disgust as she quickly ran over to Yumichika and hid behind him. "That's disgusting! Make him go away, Yumichika!"

Yumichika covered her eyes. "What's wrong with you!? There's a child here!"

Charlotte snarled. "You simply cannot grasp beauty. I will end your pitiful life now."

Before Yumichika had realized what had happened, Hitomi was standing in front of him and blocking the cero blast Charlotte sent at him. Hitomi winced as she skidded back into Yumichika. "He's really strong."

Yumichika pushed her out of the way as Charlotte lunged at him. "Bloom Fuji Kujaku."

Hitomi rubbed her head from where it had collided with the wall. By the time she had looked up, Yumichika and Charlotte had been swallowed up by black forest of thorns. She ran forward and began banging her tiny fist furiously on the black ball. "Yumichika! Yumichika!"

Just as quickly as the thorns had appeared, it disappeared. Hitomi was standing beside Yumichika. Seeing that he was all right, Hitomi allowed herself to cry. She tackled Yumichika in midair and hugged him tightly. "Are you okay!?"

Yumichika smiled at her with a flower in his mouth. He hugged her back. "Of course. I told you I'd end this quickly enough."

"How could you be hiding something like that?" Charlotte gasped out. "That was your Bankai, wasn't it?"

"No." Yumichika answered. "That was my Zanpaktou's true form. I'm in the 11th division of the Gotei 13. We are the strongest combat force and our squad is full of idiots willing to risk their lives in combat. If you have a kido-based Zanpaktou, you are considered a coward. I don't want anyone in my division to see my Zanpaktou's powers, especially not Ikkaku and my captain. If you hadn't covered me with those thorns, I wouldn't have unleashed it's true powers."

"Even if it meant losing to me?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes." Yumichika answered. He flinched as he was suddenly kicked in the back. "What was that for, Hitomi-chan!?"

Hitomi glared angrily up at him. "What's wrong with having a kido-based Zanpaktou!? I'm not a coward!"

"I didn't mean you!" Yumichika snapped. "Why are you kicking me when I'm injured!?"

Hitomi huffed and crossed her arms. "I'm going to go make sure Shuuhei is okay. You need to rest."

Yumichika smiled softly and knelt down to Hitomi. He kissed the top of her head. "I'll be all right. You go make sure Shuuhei doesn't shame the Gotei 13."

Hitomi hugged him tightly. "I knew you'd win." She whispered before going back to Shuuhei.

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**Not much to say…review please!**


	35. Steel Feathers

**Illidan the Half Demon: Yeah…that battle was pretty scarring.**

**Sakura02: No child should ever have to see something so horrible!**

**Aiedail's Scepter: Hitomi is going to flip out at that part. **

**Sun Geisha: I always figured that my responding to the review was kind of you guys thanks and that putting your names in the below section would be rather redundant. **

**Ayla: Lol, careful now. You call me God and it might go to my head :)**

**Black-chan: Hmmm…I'm really not sure who you'd be like since I don't really know much about you. I don't think I'll be making anymore stories other than the ones I'm working on right now. I will do an epilogue, however, so you can all see Hitomi when she's all grown up.**

**Thanks: Akuma and Tenshi Hana, Arcee-chan, toshiro's gurl, King of Stories, ImJustNutty, Blu inu, DarkAngelNeko666, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, XangelwingsXX, flora236, and Hatake Tsughi for your reviews!**

**Hooray! Over 400 reviews! You guys rock!**

* * *

"Shuuhei, I'm back!" Hitomi latched onto Shuuhei's waist and hugged him tightly, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere.

"I thought I told you to go help Yumichika." Shuuhei couldn't help smiling as he dislodged Hitomi from his waist and placed her on the ground.

"Yumichika already won. Why haven't you beat this guy yet, Shuuhei?" Hitomi frowned as she glared over at the Arrancar she vaguely recalled as being Findor.

"You know, they say patience is a virtue." Shuuhei muttered. He knelt down in front of her and tapped her nose affectionately. "Just sit tight and I'll finish this guy off."

Hitomi huffed and bit at his finger. "Fine. You better not die."

Shuuhei turned his attention back to Findor and frowned thoughtfully. "You said you would fight me at the same level as a lieutenant but you're no stronger than a 5th seat."

Hitomi blinked as Findor pointed at Shuuhei and grinned excitedly. Great, another weird one. "If he's only been fighting at a 5th seat level why haven't you beaten him yet?"

"No need for commentary." Shuuhei called over his shoulder.

Findor simply smiled evilly. "I simply wanted to see if you could guess my strength. Since you've passed my test…" He lifted his hand with a small blade up to his hollow mask and hacked off a small chunk.

Hitomi winced and rubbed her own forehead subconsciously. She knew that it hurt the Arrancar's when their mask were ripped off. She wondered why Findor willingly cut off his own. She watched with growing anxiety as Findor attacked Shuuhei and slowly chipped his own mask away. "Are you okay, Shuuhei?"

Shuuhei grunted as Findor finally rid himself of half his mask and attacked Shuuhei. "I'm fine. Look, this could take a while. Go see if Kira needs any help. No back talk." He added when he saw Hitomi open her mouth to protest.

"Fine." Hitomi huffed as she rose from her spot. She stared at Shuuhei for a moment as he struggled against Findor. "Be careful." She whispered before flash stepping in the direction Kira was.

She paused long enough on the building Kira was on to have her hand grabbed by said Shinigami as he ran. "Hi, Kira!" She smiled at him.

Kira gave her a shaky smile in return. "Hello, Hitomi. I trust you are well." He whipped around and placed Hitomi behind him. He quickly put up a shield to ward off an attack from the Arrancar chasing him. He winced as the shield broke.

Hitomi peeked out from behind Kira to see if it was one of the Arrancar she knew. "I'm okay. Shuuhei won't let me help him so he told me to come check on you." She frowned at the birdman floating in the sky. She was certain she had seen him around Hueco Mundo but couldn't recall his name.

"That sounds like Shuuhei." Kira chuckled warily, his eyes never once straying from the Arrancar flying in the air above him and Hitomi.

The Arrancar laughed obnoxiously. "You're pathetic!" He sneered. "But, then again, it is to be expected when you are facing the great Aguila."

Hitomi snarled at the Arrancar. "Don't talk about Kira like that!" She stomped her foot on the ground and waved her finger at Aguila. "He's not pathetic! He's just kind of shy and quiet and a little timid and doesn't like fighting that much and gets drunk real easily and he can't tell Stupid Momo that he likes her but he's not pathetic!"

"I don't think you're helping me." Kira muttered out. He pulled Hitomi back as feathers rained down from the sky. They were no ordinary feathers, though. They fell as though they weighed tons and drove into the building. He glared warily up at Aguila.

Aguila simply smirked. "My feathers are made of steal and crush all in their path. Since my fellow Arrancar have been unable to do their jobs properly, I shall retrieve Hitomi-hime and return her to her rightful place beside Aizen-sama."

"No!" Hitomi shrieked and hid behind Kira. "I don't wanna go back to creepy Aizen! He's mean and creepy and way too touchy feely!" Just the thought of returning to Aizen brought tears to Hitomi's eyes. She blinked them away as she felt a familiar and comforting hand on her head.

Kira smiled reassuringly down at Hitomi. "Don't worry, Hitomi. I won't let him take you away. We're all going to go home together, okay?"

Hitomi wiped her eyes and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

**I know, I know. It's short and the ending is horrible but, I have a History paper that I should've finished last week calling my name rather menacingly. Review please!**


	36. Kira

**Sakura02: Bah, History paper. I can't wait to be done with stupid Texas History. Just two more weeks, then a week finals, and then we're off to Dallas to see Breaking Benjamin and Nickelback and Shinedown! Hang in there!**

**toshiro'sgurl: Unfortunately, I can't update any faster than this. I have nine other stories besides this one that I'm working on plus my own original novel. I do update this story every other Wednesday though so hopefully that will be enough. **

**Aiedail's Scepter: Don't get me wrong; I totally freaked out when the chapter happened and I'm still mad because we don't know whether Hitsugaya is okay or not. As for Momo, I liked her when she first showed up because I thought it was cute how she had a crush on her captain and everything. After Aizen "died", though, she just started annoying me. But yes, I do believe they'll all need lots of time on the therapy couch after this is all over.**

**Black-chan: No, the names of the Arrancar are the ones Kubo-sensei gave them.**

**Thank you: Arcee-chan, Ray-nee-chan, Illidan the Half Demon, XangelwingsXX, Sheiri, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, chakashi, Syco's Path, reina de los siete mares, Waterbluegirl1234, and Scarlette Shizuru for reviewing!**

* * *

"Kira, what're you gonna do about the steel feathers of doom?" Hitomi asked as she remained hidden behind Kira.

"Don't worry, Hitomi." Kira said, keeping his eyes trained on Aguila. "They may be steel feathers, but they're still feathers. Just hold onto me. I won't let anything happen to you."

Hitomi opened her mouth to question him, but quickly shut it as Kira sent a whirlwind at Aguila. She barely had time to grab his hand before he made a hole in the building and leapt down. She kept a firm grip on his hand to ensure they she didn't lose him. When steel feathers began piercing through the building, she covered her head with her free arm. "What're you gonna do, Kira? Maybe I…"

"No." Kira cut her off. "This is my battle. I won't let you fight it for me. You trust me, right?"

"Of course!" Hitomi nodded though she knew Kira couldn't see her. "I'll trust Kira with my life!"

"Good." He scooped her up into his arms and broke through one of the windows of the building. He dodged the feathers and used the poles that were sliced by the feathers to create a obstacle for Aguila.

Hitomi pulled herself up so Kira's arm was around her waist and she could see what was going on over his shoulder. Her eyes widened and she began smacking Kira's shoulder repeatedly. "Kira! Kira! He's doing something weird!"

"Stop hitting me, Hitomi." Kira grit out. He spun around to see what was going on a raised an eyebrow when he saw that Aguila had drawn a strange pattern on his chest. "What's he doing?" He muttered as blood shot forth from the pattern.

"Whatever it is, it's creepy." Hitomi said softly. She clutched tighter to Kira's uniform. "I don't wanna go back, Kira."

Kira smiled warily down at her though his eyes continued to flicker over to Aguila. "You won't. I won't let them take you away."

Hitomi smiled briefly before her eyes widened. "Kira!" She yelped as Kira shoved her off to the far side of the building. She couldn't see where he was through the smoke caused by the destroyed building. "Kira!" She screamed.

Aguila turned to her and held his hand out. "Now, Hitomi-hime, I want you to come quietly with me like a good girl."

"Don't take a step closer to her." Kira hissed from behind Aguila's back. He had Wabisuke hooked onto one of Aguila's wings. "I should actually thank you for that attack. My sword is useless on long range opponents."

Hitomi's eyes lit up and she grinned. "Wabisuke-san saves the day!" She crowed. She flinched as Aguila crashed down through the building due to how heavy his wing was. She peered over the side and then looked at Kira, a bright smile on her face. "Thank you, Kira."

Kira nodded to her. "Stay here." He sighed as he leapt down and saw Hitomi was following him. "Can't you listen to your elders for once?"

"Nope." Hitomi landed gracefully beside him. She hung back as Kira approached a shocked Aguila. She shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Kira, can you end it quickly? Don't make him suffer or anything."

Kira glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the child. He said nothing to her and simply turned back to Aguila. "My sword doubles the weight of anything it touches. The second touches doubles that and the third doubles that. I hit your wings about four times so it'll be impossible for you to fly."

Aguila snarled at him. "That's a dirty trick. What kind of warrior are you?! Hitomi-hime, how could stand to be around such cowards!?"

Hitomi flinched and backed away. "Kira isn't it a coward!" She yelled back.

"It's all right, Hitomi-hime." He turned his attention back to Aguila. "I am from the third division. Our flower, the marigold, represents despair and that is what we pride ourselves on. War is not heroic or exciting. War is full of despair, darkness, sorrow, and gloom. War is not something a child should have to see and yet you, a warrior, brought Hitomi-hime to this place. If that is what a warrior does, I have no desire to understand nor be one. My Zanpaktou embodies this best by making its opponents be overcome by the weight and so they bow their heads, as if apologizing. Hitomi, you might want to look away."

Hitomi looked away just a moment before hearing a squawk of pain and then the sound of a sword slicing through something. She was about to lift her head up when she was enveloped in somebody's arms with her head buried in their chest. "Kira?"

"I don't want you to see it." Kira whispered. "You shouldn't even have to be here. You shouldn't even be involved in this."

Hitomi wrapped her tiny arms around Kira's thin frame. She lifted her head and smiled up at him. "It's okay. I want to be here. I want to help protect everyone. Even if I'm not very useful and can't fight as good as you guys, even if it's just a little, I want to help so we can all go home together."

Kira smiled down at her and stroked her hair. "What a good girl you are." He chuckled as Hitomi began fidgeting. "You're worried about Hisagi-san, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah!" Hitomi puffed her cheeks out. "It shouldn't take him this long to beat one stupid enemy. Maybe he's getting too old or too fat and can't fight as well."

Kira let out a barking laugh. "I hardly think that's the case. Go to him. I'll be fine." Kira reassured the little girl.

Hitomi stood on her tiptoes and kissed Kira's cheek. "Don't worry! I won't let anything happen to Shuuhei!" With, she flash stepped back towards where she had last seen Shuuhei.

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**Time to stop! Review please!**


	37. Shuuhei's Fight

**Hello again, everyone! Terribly sorry for my long absence. The last couple of weeks I've been finishing up classes, then I had the oh so exciting finals of doom. Now, it's summer vacation! I hope you can all forgive me for my tardiness!**

**Sakura02: Don't hate just because you aren't an amazing drunk like me :P. It's not my fault you can't cry a single tear or karate chop people.**

**Black-chan: No, I don't have any other Bleach stories but I do have nine others in various other animes. Wow, I don't think I've ever been called god before :) Thank you!**

**hisanachan: I didn't mean to have Kira call her Hitomi-hime. My fingers were typing faster than my mind could keep up with. And it's actually Kira that tells Hitomi that it's all right, not Aguila. Thank you for pointing out the Hitomi-hime though.**

**Thanks: xx1ofAKindxx, DarkAngelNeko666, Scarlette Shizuru, music fans, snickerslol04, Aiedail's Scepter, Illidan the Half Demon, Ray-nee-chan, Mei-chan4 fan, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, Hatake Tsughi, kishi24kisses, and ToshiroHitsugayagirlfriend for your reviews.**

"You're still fighting him!" Hitomi huffed out and she landed beside a panting Shuuhei. "You really are getting old, Shuuhei."

Shuuhei glared half-heartedly at the little girl. "I know you're trying to be encouraging, Hitomi, but you're still not helping." He sighed when Hitomi pouted at him and patted her head. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Hitomi grinned briefly at him before turning to glare at Findor. "Hey! Quit picking on my Shuuhei!"

Findor simply chuckled. "How shameful. We are both fighting at the level of a vice-captain and yet only you are exhausted!"

"Leave him alone!" Hitomi hugged Shuuhei's waist and glared at Findor. "He's just old, that's all! Shuuhei is still really strong!"

Findor chuckled. "Well, I believe it's time to end this, Hisagi Shuuhei!" He held his Zanpaktou out in front of him.

"Hitomi, move now!" Shuuhei kicked Hitomi to the side and stood in a defensive position.

Hitomi yelped and scrambled to avoid falling over the edge of the building. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Shuuhei's head until she noticed Findor's "resurrection" form. Her eyes widened and she pointed at shaking finger at Findor. "He's got a crab arm! Shuuhei, can we boil him for dinner!"

Shuuhei faltered for a moment, having to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "Hitomi, you don't want to eat that. Trust me. When we get back home, we'll have a big crab boil, okay?"

"Promise?" Hitomi's eyes lit up at the sheer thought. "Can we invite everyone!"

"Of course." Shuuhei smiled briefly before turning his attention back to the charging Findor. He barely had a chance to dodge as Findor sliced through the top half of the building. "What the hell!"

"Shuuhei, watch out!" Hitomi cried. "His crab claw is really sharp!"

"I can see that." Shuuhei ground out as he slid across the top. "Hitomi, don't you move from that spot!" Shuuhei scolded when he saw Hitomi drawing her Zanpaktou. "You sit there and be a good girl and let me finish my own fight."

Hitomi huffed but obeyed. She sat on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest and watched as Findor and Shuuhei continued to fight. For a brief moment, she thought Shuuhei had the fight won when he pinned Findor to the wall with a kido attack. "Shuuhei, look out!"

Shuuhei barely had time to leap back and avoid another slash from Findor's attack. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Hitomi. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" Hitomi had covered her head with her arms when the piece of building that Findor's attack collapsed right beside her. She lifted her head up shakily and her eyes were wide. "Shuuhei!"

"You really should pay less attention to Hitomi-hime and worry about yourself!" Findor shouted as he sent a barrage of attacks at Shuuhei. "Dodge all you want! You can't avoid them all!"

"Shuuhei!" Hitomi screamed. She couldn't see him anywhere. All she could see was the energy from Findor's attack. Tears filled her eyes. "Shuuhei, where are you!"

"Reap, Kazeshini." Shuuhei's Zanpaktou slashed through all of Findor's attacks as he stood their calmly. He smiled briefly over at Hitomi. "I'm fine, Hitomi. Stop crying."

Hitomi wiped her eyes and glared at Shuuhei. "Idiot! Don't scare me like that anymore! I won't share any of my crab with you!"

Findor paused in his attack to appraise Shuuhei's Zanpaktou. "Interesting…"

Shuuhei shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care much for my Zanpaktou. It resembles something that takes lives far too much…" He blinked as a shoe connected with his head. "What was that for, Hitomi!"

Hitomi frowned at him. "Don't talk meanly about Kazeshini! It's not his fault he looks like that!"

"You should probably look away." Shuuhei muttered.

Obediently, Hitomi covered her eyes. She fought the urge to peek through her fingers. She could hear the sound of crossing weapons and loud voices. She suddenly perked up when she heard the sound of an entire building collapsing. She moved her fingers away and stood up. She stared where the pillar had once been. "Who…?" Her eyes widened in horror as she realized who had been over there. "Ikkaku!"

**We're going to stop now! Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	38. Ikkaku

**Gross, I hate being sick…Evil children and co-workers with their germs….**

**Illidan the Half Demon: See, I didn't think that was right for his release form. The version I was looking at had mow instead of reap but I couldn't remember what it actually was so I just put mow. I fixed it, though :)**

**Sakura02: Ha, I totally pictured him mowing a lawn too!**

**Nadine: I'm sorry, I don't speak German so I had to use an online translator :). I'm so glad you like the story and I hope you'll continue to read!**

**Thanks: Ray-nee-chan, snickerslol04, music fans, XangelwingsXX, ImJustNutty, ScienceAngel, PunkRockHolly, Scarlette Shizuru, xx1ofAKindxx, Black-Chan, and Aiedail's Scepter for your reviews.**

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"Hitomi, get back here!" Shuuhei cried out. He cursed as he had to turn his attention from the fleeing child to Yumichika whom was attempting to rush towards Ikkaku.

"Don't worry, Yumichika, I'll go save Ikkaku!" Hitomi called over her shoulder as Kira knocked Yumichika out. She turned her complete attention to the large dust cloud looming up from the remains of the building. There was no way Ikkaku could have possibly lost. She refused to believe it. He had always been one of the strongest warriors she had ever known.

She landed gracefully beside Ikkaku's fallen body. She gently shook his shoulder. "Ikkaku, are you okay? Wake up, Ikkaku."

The large Arrancar stared at the clearly upset Hitomi. "Hitomi-hime, you have evaded capture long enough." He reached out with a large hand and picked Hitomi up by her collar. "You will return to Aizen-sama."

"No way!" Hitomi drew her Zanpaktou. "Tobikau Oniyuri!" She sliced the air before her and made a deep gash in the Arrancar's arm. She landed on the ground, the amaryllis symbol glowing on her forehead. The bright light surrounded her again and she was back in her teenage body. "I won't allow you to harm Ikkaku!"

The Arrancar stared at her for a moment. "How interesting. However," The Arrancar brought his good arm up and smacked Hitomi across the face. "children should be seen and not heard. Learn your place."

Hitomi flinched as her back connected with the hard concrete of one of the destroyed walls. The amaryllis's light dulled as the Arrancar towered over her. She looked over at where Ikkaku still lay. "Ikkaku…"

The Arrancar glanced over at the fallen shinigami. "It will do you no good to call out to someone that's dead."

"Who're you calling dead?" Ikkaku coughed out as he attempted to push himself up.

The Arrancar picked Hitomi up in one large hand and then stared at Ikkaku. He swiftly brought his foot down on Ikkaku's back and held him there. "Good. You're still alive. Bring out that power you were hiding." He dug his foot in Ikkaku's back to emphasize his point.

"Ikkaku!" Hitomi screamed. She looked frantically around for her Zanpaktou only to find it lying beside the Arrancar's foot. "Leave Ikkaku alone, you monster!"

Ikkaku gasped in pain. "Like I have any hidden power…even if I did, I'd never waste it on someone pathetic like you."

"Very well." The Arrancar said solemnly. "You may die."

"Ikkaku!" She yelled as the Arrancar lifted his foot up into the air. She gasped as the Arrancar was punched in the face and its grip loosened on her. She was falling through the air very briefly until warm, fuzzy arms caught her. She looked up and a smile of relief washed over her face. "Komamura-Taicho!" She clung to the front of his captain's robe tightly.

Komamura smiled at her before gently setting her on the ground. "Go make sure Ikkaku is all right."

Ikkaku choked back a scream as Hitomi hugged him tightly. "Oi, I'm injured, Idiot!"

Hitomi quickly released him. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

"Been better but I'll live." He stared up at Hitomi for a moment before grinning. "Well, if that's what your going to look like when you're all grown up, we're going to have to make sure you're well guarded from creepy perverts."

The amaryllis on Hitomi's forehead disappeared and she sat beside Ikkaku in her child form. "You're silly, Ikkaku." She grinned out. She blinked as Iba suddenly appeared and stuck black poles around the ground where she had just noticed the real Karakura town reappearing. "Hi, Iba!" She grinned out.

Iba gave her a small half smile. "You're as energetic as ever, Hitomi. Have you been giving these Arrancar hell while you were with them?"

"Yes sir!" Hitomi mock saluted the vice-captain.

"Don't let your guard down." Komamura muttered as the Arrancar pulled himself from the destroyed house. "Hitomi, stay close to Ikkaku."

Hitomi grabbed her Zanpaktou from the ground and held it defensively in front of herself. "Don't worry, Ikkaku, I'll protect you."

"I feel safer already." Ikkaku muttered.

"He's bigger than Komamura-Taicho!" Hitomi yelped out as the Arrancar spun through the air and landed right in front of Komamura. She glanced over her shoulder at Ikkaku. "He's huge! No wonder you lost, Ikkaku!"

"Boy, you really know how to make a guy feel better about himself." Ikkaku coughed out.

Hitomi looked up in time to see the Arrancar punch Komamura in the stomach and send Komamura flying. "Komamura-Taicho!"

The Arrancar drew a very tiny sword from his sleeve. "That, is a real punch. I will kill all of you here and now and return Hitomi-hime to Aizen-sama. Blow, Calderón."

"He's inflating like a balloon." Hitomi smacked Ikkaku's arm repeatedly. "Ikkaku, look! Look, Ikkaku! He looks like one of those punchy blow up doll things!"

"Stop hitting injured people!" Ikkaku snapped. He tensed at how huge the Arrancar had now become. "Hitomi, get out of here. Get somewhere safe."

"No way." Hitomi held her Zanpaktou in front of her and glared at the Arrancar. "I'm going to protect you, Ikkaku. No matter what you say, I won't move. I won't let that Arrancar anywhere near you."

Ikkaku sighed. "When'd you get to be so stubborn?"

Hitomi grinned over her shoulder. "I learned from the best."

Well, Ikkaku couldn't argue with that.

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**Yay! Review please!**


	39. FuzzyTaicho

**As of June 12, Hitsugaya's Headache is officially two years old! I hope you will all continue enjoying this story! **

**PunkRockHolly: She'll be reunited with Hitsugaya soon enough, though it will be very brief…**

**Illidan the Half Demon: It wasn't that Shuuhei willingly let Hitomi go exactly. She's just a little faster than Yumichika and much smaller so she managed to get away while Yumichika didn't. I probably should have explained that better :) But yes, the thought of Kazeshini pushing a lawn mower is rather terrifyingly hilarious. **

**Sakura02: You're just jealous because you know I'll beat you in Laser Tag :P**

**XeniaKunoichi: She'll be okay…eventually**

**Thank you: Ray-nee-chan, music fans, King of Stories, ., snickerslol04, Aiedail's Scepter, Scarlette Shizuru, RandomGothicNinjaNerd, and Mizora-san for reviewing!**

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"Iba-san, put me down!" Ikkaku barked as Iba dragged him by his collar away from the behemoth Arrancar.

"Yeah!" Hitomi chimed in. Iba was carrying her like a football under his arm. "Let's fight him! If all three of us attack, we can take him down."

Iba looked at both of them incredulously and continued running. "You're both crazy. Do you honestly think we would stand a chance against something that sent Captain flying?"

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out and began pounding furiously against Iba's side. "It doesn't matter if we think we can win or not! We have to stop that guy from hurting everyone!"

Ikkaku was about to chime in when he suddenly saw the Arrancar bringing its fist down. "Oi, Iba-san, you can't dodge like this! Put us down!"

Hitomi steeled herself for what seemed like an inevitable impact. She blinked as Iba froze and let both her and Ikkaku go. She turned around and grinned. "Fuzzy-Taicho saves the day!"

Komamura laughed weakly as he held the Arrancar's fist with both arms. "You should never retreat, Tetsuzaemon. No matter what…and…be sure to stand behind me."

Hitomi pulled impatiently at Iba's robes. "Why do we have to stay behind him? What's he going to do?"

Iba simply grinned at her. "Just watch. Komamura-Taicho is the best. He'll deal with the Arrancar, no problem."

Hitomi was about to continue questioning Iba when Komamura lifted the Arrancar up by its fist and flung it away. Her eyes widened and she rushed over to Komamura, hugging him tightly. "That was amazing! Can you teach me how to throw people like that, Fuzzy-Taicho?"

Komamura chuckled. "Are there people that you want to throw?"

"Yes!" Hitomi puffed her cheeks out as Komamura picked her up in one arm. "I want to throw that jerk Aizen and Gin and…and…" She trailed off before saying Tousen's name, remembering how close Komamura had been to the former shinigami captain.

"It's all right, Hitomi." Komamura consoled. "I understand how angry you must be at them for kidnapping you and hurting you…"

"That's not it!" Hitomi protested. "Yeah, I'm angry with them for kidnapping me but that's not why I want to throw them! I…I can't forgive them for hurting everyone else. Everyone trusted Aizen so much…and Matsumoto really loves Gin even though she won't say it…and you and Shuuhei were so close to Tousen…I can't forgive them for betraying everyone like that!"

"Hitomi…" Komamura whipped around as the Arrancar suddenly lifted himself up. He gently placed Hitomi on the ground and turned his attention back to the Arrancar. "When this is all over, I'll teach you how to throw people far away, okay?"

"That was pathetic!" The Arrancar cackled as he sat up. "I'll admit, I was a bit surprised that an insect like you could throw me…"

"Ikkaku, he's got like twelve chins!" Hitomi shrieked as she smacked Ikkaku in the side as the Arrancar opened it's mouth wide.

"Ow, I can see that! I'm still injured!" Ikkaku yelped.

"You see, when I get surprised, I can't help but to yawn." The Arrancar said as he prepared a cero blast.

Komamura seemed completely unfazed. "I see…then, I shall stifle that yawn for you."

Hitomi grinned as Komamura released his Bankai. "It's Tengen!"

Ikkaku raised an eyebrow. "How do you know everyone's Zanpaktou names anyway?"

"Um…" Hitomi chuckled nervously, remembering how the Zanpaktou had told her not to tell anyone about how she could speak to all of them. "I just listen really well. You should try it sometime."

Ikkaku frowned and pulled on her cheek. "You're a lying little brat, you know?"

Hitomi batted his hand away and stuck her tongue out at him. She grinned up at Tengen and waved at him though the Zanpaktou didn't wave back. Her grin only widened at the shocked look on the Arrancar's face as Tengen towered over him. "I told you Fuzzy-Taicho is the best. He won't lose to a punchy blow up doll like that guy."

Komamura cracked a smile as Tengen swatted the charging Arrancar to the ground with his sword. "He's right, though. I am a rather pathetic insect…" He blinked as Hitomi was once again attached to him and glaring up at him.

"No you aren't." She protested. "You're a better men then half of the non-fuzzy guys. Plus," She rubbed her cheek against his side and smiled up at him. "you're warm and fuzzy and cuddly and girls like warm, fuzzy, cuddly things."

Her attention was pulled away from the laughing Komamura when she heard Iba and Ikkaku arguing. She slipped away from Komamura and went over to the two. She arrived just in time to see Iba punch Ikkaku and send him flying. "Why'd you do that, Iba-san! Ikkaku is hurt!"

Iba ignored Hitomi and glared at Ikkaku. "Your pillar was destroyed because you…" He caught himself when he realized Hitomi was standing beside him.

"It's because he hid his Bankai, so what?" Hitomi snapped out. "It all worked out in the end."

"His orders were to protect the pillar and he failed because he's so stubborn." Iba answered. He turned his attention back to Ikkaku and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You don't care if you lose because you know that someone will just replace you."

Ikkaku snarled as he stood up. "Did I hear you right? You think I don't care if I lose?"

Iba shrugged. "Am I wrong?"

Hitomi looked between the two nervously. She could feel the agitation coming from their Zanpaktou's. "Guys, you two shouldn't be fighting right now! You can work out your manly problems later!"

Ikkaku ignored Hitomi and charged headlong at Iba. He gasped as Iba easily deflected his attack and sent him to the ground. "You bastard!"

"If you insist on being stubborn, then use your full power!" Iba snapped. "You won't attack an opponent from behind so use everything you have to win. That's all that matters in the end. If you don't care about your own life for yourself, think of others. How do you think Hitomi would've felt if she got here just to find you dead?"

Hitomi could feel how angry Hozukimaru was becoming. She rushed over to Ikkaku and hugged both him and the Zanpaktou around his waist. She clung tightly to him as Iba's words continued to bother her. What if she had found Ikkaku dead? "I don't want you to die…" She said softly.

Ikkaku sighed and patted her back. "Okay, okay. Stop with the puppy eyes already. I won't die."

Hitomi smiled as she felt Hozukimaru calm down. She looked up and squealed when she saw Komamura's ears twitching as they listened for anymore potential enemies. "I wanna play with Fuzzy-Taicho's ears!"

"You, need to go back to Hitsugaya-Taicho." Ikkaku said firmly. "I'm sure he's worried about you. Don't worry about me." He added when he saw Hitomi hesitate. "I'll be fine."

Hitomi looked between Iba and Ikkaku before stomping her foot on the ground. "You two better kiss and make up by the time I get back here." She took off after that, missing the incredulous looks on Ikkaku and Iba's face and Komamura laughing hysterically.

Hitomi quickly reached the area she had last seen Hitsugaya. She paused momentarily when she saw the other Arrancar surrounding not only Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, but Ukitake, Kyouraku, Soi Fon, and Omaeda. "Daddy!"

Hitsugaya grunted as Hitomi suddenly attached herself to his waist. "Hitomi, what are you doing here!"

"I'm going to help!" Hitomi answered as she glared at the Arrancar surrounding them. "And you better not tell me no because I won't listen."

Hitsugaya could feel a migraine coming on. "You're grounded when we get home."

Hitomi simply grinned as she unsheathed her Zanpaktou. "Okay!"

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**Yay! Hitomi is finally reunited with her dad. Review please to find out if she'll get to stay with him for very long!**


	40. Fighting Together

**Hitsugaya's Headache has exactly 500 reviews! You guys are awesome!**

**ImJustNutty: Lol, all right, I won't say anymore, promise :)**

**Sakura02: Lol, most anything that involves her daddy getting hurt upsets Hitomi**

**Illidan the Half Demon: I got the idea from work :) we have a little boy in my class that gets very upset when me and another teacher "fight" and he'll stand there until we make up or else he threatens to send us to time out. It's rather cute.**

**SeireiteiFantasy: I always thought it would be fun to be able to talk to the Zanpaktou so I figured it would be neat to give Hitomi that ability**

**Lina Schiffer: Lol, yes, the two are very similar.**

**Thank you: Aiedail's Scepter, lovelyanimeangel, rockbabyval, Scarlette Shizuru, SaiyukiSucker, animebooklover14, snickerslol04, ScienceAngel, PunkRockHolly, Quinsi Vinsis, XeniaKunoichi, CrimsonMidnight469, MissStories, kitsunelover300, and Mizora-san for reviewing.**

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Hitomi clung to Hitsugaya as they stared at the Arrancar circling them. She smiled as she felt the cool hilt of Hyōrinmaru against her cheek. Ever since the fighting had begun, Hitomi's stomach had once again began to hurt. Thoughts of her dream where the woman had forced her to swallow something shiny flashed through her mind. "Daddy, are you scared?"

Hitsugaya glanced down at Hitomi before placing a hand on top of her head. "No." He glanced over at Matsumoto. "Are you all right?"

For the first time, Hitomi looked over at Matsumoto. The normally cheerful face she was used to was replaced with a serious mask underlined with a sadness. She could feel Haineko's restlessness as well. She released Hitsugaya and went to hug Matsumoto.

"I'm fine." Matsumoto said softly. She squeezed Hitomi's shoulder and smiled briefly at the little girl. "Really, I'm fine, Hitomi."

"Both of you, don't lose your focus." Hitsugaya said sternly as he unsheathed his sword.

"Okay, Daddy!" Hitomi drew her sword as well, glowering at the Arrancar they were facing.

Matsumoto couldn't help but to crack a smile at the determined look on Hitomi's face. "Yes sir."

Hitomi glanced around briefly to see who was fighting who. She could see Stark off in the distance with Lilinet facing off against Kyouraku and Ukitake. Her stomach twisted painfully. She had grown quite attached to Stark and Lilnet had always been willing to play with her. At the same time, she loved Ukitake and Kyouraku deeply and didn't want either of them to get hurt as well.

"This battle is becoming more difficult for you, isn't it, Hitomi-hime." Halibel said softly.

Hitsugaya snarled and moved protectively in front of Hitomi. Matsumoto mimicked his actions. "Taicho, you go take care of that Espada. Hitomi and I can deal with these three."

Hitsugaya glanced down at Hitomi. She was rather pale and clutching at her stomach. "All right."

"Listen to me, Hitomi." Matsumoto said softly as the Arrancar began drawing their weapons. "Whatever time you spent with them, whatever bonds you forged with them, you must forget. They are the enemy. They want to destroy everything you know and love. Do you understand me?"

Hitomi closed her eyes. She remembered how Stark would always let her take a nap with him, how Lilinet was one of the only ones that willingly played with her. She remembered how Halibel would hide her from Nnoitra and Szayel when they would upset her and how Appaci, Mila Rose, and Sun-Sun would play with her hair and coo over her. She remembered Wonderwice silently following her around and simply holding her hand. She remembered Grimmjaw and the way he would grudgingly allow Hitomi to follow him around and if no one was around, he would actually carry her. She remembered how Ulquiorra always patiently stayed by her side as she decided what book she wanted him to read to her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and held her sword up. "I understand."

Appaci bristled as Hitsugaya drew his weapon against Halibel. "How dare he!"

Mila Rose simply rolled her eyes. "That brat has no chance of winning against Halibel-sama. If we want to help her, we need to deal with this girl and retrieve Hitomi-hime."

"Oh yeah." Appaci looked over at Matsumoto and Hitomi. "Didn't she say she and Hitomi-hime could deal with the three of us?"

Matsumoto glared at the three. She moved so part of her body was shielding Hitomi's. She took a deep breath. "What a relief; you can actually hear. I was worried your hearing was as bad as your fashion sense."

Hitomi bit her lip to keep from giggling as Appaci grew irate and attempted to attack Matsumoto while Mila Rose held her back. "Matsumoto-mama, that's mean."

Matsumoto simply smiled and patted Hitomi's head. "Don't worry. The man-gorilla won't let that horrid little thing near us."

Hitomi began laughing as the two began to argue with Sun-Sun when the other Arrancar mocked them as well. She brought her sword back up as the three glared darkly over at Matsumoto. "Don't worry, Matsumoto-mama, I won't let them hurt you."

"I know you won't." Matsumoto smiled. "I won't let anything happen to you either. For now, Hitomi, stand back and let Mama take care of these idiots. Growl, Haineko."

Obediently, Hitomi lowered her sword as ash swirled around the three Arrancar. It had been a while since she had seen Matsumoto fight but she always loved watching her. She lingered back slightly as Appaci stuck her arm into the sand before Sun-Sun tripped her up. The shocked look on Appaci's face as she was cut made Hitomi flinch slightly but she quickly covered it up. _I have to be strong for Matsumoto-mama and everyone. I have to fight no matter what._

Matsumoto brought the ash up to swirl around the three Arrancar. She could sense how hesitant Hitomi was about this particular fight. At all cost, she wanted to avoid forcing Hitomi to fight. As the ash swirled around the three, Matsumoto brought her sword up. "Be careful not to touch the ash, now."

Hitomi's eyes widened as three cero blast suddenly broke through the swirling ash. She cried out as Matsumoto grabbed her and pulled her out of the way of the blast just in time. She stared incredulously at the three Arrancar females. They hadn't hesitated to use killing force even though they knew Hitomi was there. If it had been Matsumoto or any of the shinigami, Hitomi knew they would've exercised restraint. Her gaze hardening, Hitomi moved protectively in front of Matsumoto.

"No, Hitomi." Matsumoto said firmly. "I'm going to deal with these three. The last thing I want is Taicho constantly looking over here worrying if you're fighting."

Hitomi was about to protest but Matsumoto simply charged at the three. She lingered hesitantly back, not wanting to disobey Matsumoto's orders. She glanced over to see Hitsugaya was indeed occasionally glancing over to see what was going on. She bit her lip. If he was that distracted, perhaps it was best that she didn't fight. She blinked back from her thoughts when Matsumoto suddenly flew by her. "Matsumoto-mama!"

Matsumoto flinched as she stood up. "I-I'm all right, Hitomi."

Hitomi glared over at where Appaci was charging towards Matsumoto. Finally making a decision, Hitomi stood in front of Matsumoto and swung her sword down. "Tobikau Oniyuri!"

Appaci stumbled back as the wind slice her arm. "Hitomi-hime, what do you think you're doing?"

Hitomi glared at the three Arrancar as they once again tightened their ranks. "I'm not going to let you hurt my Matsumoto-mama! I'll fight the three of you, so, leave Matsumoto-mama alone!"

"Hitomi…" Matsumoto said softly.

"It's okay, Matsumoto-mama." Hitomi kept her gaze on the three Arrancar. "You've always protected me and taken care of me. Now, I'm going to take care of you so don't worry, okay?"

Matsumoto was about to protest but she could see the determination in Hitomi's eyes. "All right, Hitomi. I'll back you up. We'll fight together from now on."

"Okay, Matsumoto-mama!" Hitomi smiled at Matsumoto before turning back to the Arrancar. "When we're done, we'll go help Daddy, right?"

"Of course." Matsumoto grinned.

Hitomi glanced over her shoulder. She couldn't see much of what was going on with Hitsugaya. "Hold on just a little longer, okay, Daddy."


	41. Scary Deer of Doom

**Scarlette Shizuru: I thought about having her be more conflicted about which side to pick but then I thought about it: if I had been kidnapped by people, gotten close to some of them, and then reunited with my parents and having to choose which side to fight on, I realized it really wasn't that difficult of a decision. :) Don't get me wrong, Hitomi is very upset that she has to fight her friends, but, her mother comes before any of them.**

**Illidan the Half Demon: Lol, it's because Hitomi loves her Matsumoto-mama more than anyone else in the whole world! Well…aside from Daddy Hitsugaya :)**

**Sakura02: I know! But then, I skipped a good ten chapters just to get back to Matsumoto's fight with the scary deer of doom so we'll see how long I stay far behind…**

**Mizora-san: Initially, as I'm sure you noticed, Hitomi didn't call Matsumoto, Matsumoto-mama. However, as I continued writing, I figured Matsumoto would probably be Hitomi's mother figure since that was the female she was around the most. Thus, Hitomi started calling Matsumoto, Matsumoto-mama.**

**Thank you: Lina Schiffer, Ray-nee-chan, xx1ofakindxx, PunkRockHolly, XeniaKunoichi, lovelyanimeangel, SaiyukiSucker, and Aiedail's Scepter for reviewing!**

* * *

Hitomi hopped nervously from foot to foot as the three Arrancar recovered from her attack. She had no clue how she and Matsumoto were going to be able to beat the three of them. "Matsumoto-mama, what should we do?"

Matsumoto was about to respond when the three suddenly sent another barrage of cero blast at the two. There was no way the two had time to dodge. Instinctively, Matsumoto leapt in front of Hitomi to shield the little girl from the brunt of the attack. She gasped as an attack from behind her stopped the cero blast. Slowly, she turned around and her eyes widened. "You…"

Hitomi looked behind her and frowned. "What are you doing here, Hinamori?"

Hinamori slowly approached the two, a cautious smile on her face. "Hello, Rangiku-san, Hitomi-chan. I've come to help. Three against three seems more fair, doesn't it?"

"Are you…all right?" Matsumoto asked, frowning when she noticed that Hinamori was wearing the squad 5 armband around her arm.

"Yes." Hinamori answered. She smiled reassuringly at Matsumoto. "I'm here as the person in charge of squad 5. That's the only reason I'm wearing my vice-captain badge."

"You know he's evil now." Hitomi blurted out. "Aizen isn't going to come back with us to Soul Society. He wants to kill everyone, including you." Hitomi yelped as Matsumoto whapped her upside the head.

"It's all right, Rangiku-san." Hinamori said softly. She knelt in front of Hitomi whom was still looking at her dubiously. "Like I said, I'm here as the person in charge of the squad 5, not as a subordinate of Aizen-Taicho's. I understand perfectly well that he is an enemy of Soul Society…"

Hitomi was about to point out that Hinamori had just called Aizen 'captain' but she stopped when Matsumoto put a hand on her shoulder. She sighed and simply got into a battle stance like Matsumoto and Hinamori. She'd have to keep an eye on Hinamori and make sure she didn't see Aizen. "Be careful, Hinamori-san."

Hinamori smiled at Hitomi. "You don't need to worry about me, Hitomi-chan."

"I'm not." Hitomi bit out. "But, if you get hurt, it'll upset Daddy." She flashed back to the time when Hitsugaya had thought Aizen had killed Hinamori. She remembered how pale he had been, how his face was twisted in anguish and anger. "I…I don't want Daddy to be sad anymore."

"Are you three done?"

Matsumoto barely had enough time to bring up a shield of ash to stop Appaci's attack. Hinamori and Hitomi swung around from behind her and attacked Appaci as she came out of the smoke cloud caused by Hinamori's attack and their cero blast colliding.

"We make a pretty good team." Hinamori smiled weakly at Hitomi.

Hitomi looked up at her before giving a small smile back. "I guess."

Appaci snarled at the three. "Whatever, two vice-captains against us is no better than three against one. We'll beat you guys and take Hitomi-hime back." She, along with Mila Rose and Sun-Sun, crouched down in battle stances.

"It's all right, Hitomi-chan." Hinamori said softly when she noticed how nervous Hitomi was. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm surprised you haven't noticed it yet, actually."

Hitomi frowned and looked around, wondering what Hinamori was talking about. Her eyes widened as she did in fact notice something surrounding the three of them. As the Arrancar charged at them, Hitomi realized what it was. "That's a…"

"…kido net." Hinamori finished as the three Arrancar were trapped in it.

"Wow!" Hitomi's eyes were wide. "That's amazing, Hinamori-san! I never realized how good you were at kido!" Kido had never been one of Hitomi's strong points and she avoided using it if at all possible.

Hinamori smiled sheepishly. "When we get back to Soul Society, I'll teach you, okay?" She turned her attention back to the Arrancar that were trapped in her kido net. She taped her Zanpaktou against the end of the kido net that was attached to her armband. "Snap, Tobiume!"

Hitomi paused in her praising of Hinamori to glance over her shoulder. Though she couldn't see them, she could feel the reiatsu of Kyouraku and Stark fighting. Her gaze softened for a moment. "Please be careful…"

"Did you say something, Hitomi?" Matsumoto asked, looking down at Hitomi.

"Ah, no." Hitomi chuckled nervously. She could feel both Haineko and Tobiume's irritation. They had heard her loud and clear. She gasped as Hinamori stumbled forward slightly. "Are you okay, Hinamori-san?"

"I'm fine." Hinamori reassured. "I've just never used that combination before." She blinked as Hitomi tugged insistently at her uniform.

"You have to teach that to me, okay?" Hitomi said. "That was the coolest kido move I've ever seen! When we get home, you have to teach me."

Matsumoto cracked a smile before turning her attention back to where the Arrancar had been. Her eyes widened as all three appeared in their released forms. "This is bad."

Hinamori backed up a little bit. "They're completely uninjured!"

"That's because they're in their released forms." Hitomi said. She held her Zanpaktou in front of her and glared at the three Arrancar. "We've got to hurry up and beat them so we can help Daddy." She screamed as the three Arrancar suddenly ripped off one of their arms. "What are you guys doing?"

"It seems it will be more trouble to drag this fight out much longer." Sun-Sun answered. "This is something we never showed you before, Hitomi-hime. Quimera Parca!"

Hitomi's eyes widened as the three torn off arms began to take on a shape. What stood before herself, Matsumoto, and Hinamori was the strangest creature Hitomi had ever seen. "Matsumoto-mama, it's a scary deer of doom!"

Matsumoto almost laughed. It was rather difficult to find something terrifying when it was given a name like that. She quickly sobered up though. "We can't lower our guard for anything. We don't know what this thing is capable of. Hitomi, if this gets too rough, I want you to run away."

"No way!" Hitomi barked as she stood in between Matsumoto and Hinamori. "I'm part of the Gotei 13 too, you know. I'm not just a little kid. I'm going to fight too."


	42. Everything Fall's Apart

**I'm so sad! The website where I read all my manga is closing down :(. I was worried about what I was going to have to do with this fanfics since I use the website's scans to plan the chapters. However, Sakura02 found a new site so all is well! **

**Sakura02: Yes, the deer thing is terrifying and Momo is still lame…but at least Hitomi will put them in their places :)**

**Illidan the Half Demon: See, I could never remember what the things name was so I had always called it the Scary Deer of Doom in my head. It seemed like something a child would call it so I figured I'd make Hitomi say it.**

**PunkRockHolly: No, it isn't your imagination, Hitomi doesn't care much for Momo.**

**Thanks to: Scarlette Shizuru, Lina Schiffer, Mizora-san, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, lovelyanimeangel, and EMMETT. Mine. Get It for your reviews**

Hitomi eyed the strange creature nervously. She had never seen the three Arrancar bring that thing out during training and they most certainly had never told her about it. "Sun-Sun, what is that thing?"

Sun-Sun stared at the small girl for a moment. "It is our pet created from the three of us sacrificing our left arms. Its name is Allon."

"Oh…" Hitomi said softly. She looked at Allon and felt a cold chill go through her as the creature stared at her. Subconsciously, she reached out at clutched tightly to Matsumoto's hand. "Matsumoto-mama, I'm scared."

"It'll be all right." Matsumoto said shakily.

Hitomi could feel Matsumoto trembling though the older shinigami was trying her best to hide it. Hitomi clung tighter to Matsumoto's hand and kissed it. "Don't be scared, Matsumoto-mama. I'll protect you."

Matsumoto was about to respond when Allon suddenly charged towards them. She quickly pushed Hitomi out of the way and held her Zanpaktou in front of her. "Hai Neko!"

Hitomi looked up and her eyes widened in horror. "Matsumoto-mama!"

Matsumoto stood there a moment, unsure of what had just happened. She looked down at her side and saw a large chunk of flesh missing. When she looked over to Allon, she saw the creature clutching the flesh in its hand.

Appaci smirked victoriously. "We forgot to tell all of you, Allon is really strong. So, you all better watch out."

"Matsumoto-mama!" Hitomi screamed again as Matsumoto began falling. Hitomi quickly grabbed one of Matsumoto's hands while Hinamori grabbed the other. "Hinamori-san, what are we going to do?" Hitomi cried as she clung to Matsumoto's sleeve. She could see Matsumoto was barely clinging to consciousness. "Matsumoto-mama is…"

"Calm down, Hitomi." Hinamori said firmly but with a softness. "Bakudo 37; Tsuriboshi!"

What seemed like another kido net at first was very different from the first one. It was completely solid and the edges clung to surrounding buildings. As soon as the three landed in it, Matsumoto let out a painful gasp.

"Hang on, Matsumoto-mama." Hitomi said, trying her best to keep her tears at bay. She clutched tightly to Matsumoto's hand she had been holding before Allon had attacked.

Hinamori placed a soothing hand on Hitomi's head. "Don't worry, Hitomi. I'll fix Rangiku-san right up." She looked up in time to see Allon appear in front of them again. She stood protectively in front of Hitomi and began to bring up her Zanpaktou.

Hitomi turned around just in time to see Allon punch Hinamori through the stomach. Her eyes widened in complete shock and fear as Hinamori flew away due to the force of the punch. She tried to scream for somebody, anybody, but her voice stuck in her throat. She stood shakily in front of Matsumoto, her Zanpaktou in her hands. "G-Go away!"

Allon tilted its head to the side and stared at Hitomi, seeming to contemplate something. It reached out towards the trembling shinigami child…

Hitomi had been so focused on Allon, she hadn't heard the other two shinigami appear. She didn't even notice them until the chains wrapped around Allon's neck and arms and Shuuhei landed in front of her. "S-S-Shuuhei…" Hitomi couldn't stop it anymore; she began to cry as she collapsed to her knees.

Shuuhei kept a firm grip on the chains but turned his head to smile at Hitomi. "You okay, Hitomi?"

"Matsumoto-mama and Hinamori-san are…they're…" Hitomi blubbered out. She blinked when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and couldn't help but to smile through her tears. "Kira…"

Kira smiled at her. "It's all right. We'll take care of this thing."

Hitomi's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. "You can't! That thing…that thing hurt Matsumoto-mama and Hinamori-san really bad!"

"Hey, have more faith in us, Hitomi." Shuuhei said, trying to sound wounded. "I'll deal with this thing while Kira takes care of Rangiku and Hinamori."

Despite Shuuhei trying to lighten the mood, Hitomi could see how tense he was. Hitomi wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up to wrap her arms around Shuuhei's waist. She buried her face in his side. "Thank you for saving me, Shuuhei."

Shuuhei cracked a genuine smile before lightly pushing Hitomi's head down. "The next time you run off like that, you're going to be trash duty for a month."

Hitomi grinned. "Okay." She blinked when she looked over her shoulder and saw Kira standing there, looking at Shuuhei dubiously. "What's wrong, Kira?"

Kira stared blankly at Shuuhei. "Are you sure you want to get rid of me?"

"Who said I was getting rid of you? See to their wounds and then use kido to hide them! Once you've done that, come back and help me!" Shuuhei's face turned serious as he looked down at Hitomi, unsure if he should continue. "If we don't hurry, Rangiku might not make it. Come on, Kira. You used to be in the fourth division."

Kira sighed. "That was a long time ago…"

Hitomi was too upset by Shuuhei saying Matsumoto might not make it to be curious about Kira being in the fourth division. "I'm going to help you, Shuuhei."

"No." Shuuhei said firmly. "You help Kira take care of those two."

"But," Hitomi bit her lip. "but, why? What's the point of me having a Zanpaktou and being a part of the Gotei 13 if you guys won't let me fight?"

"Shuuhei, let her help you." Kira said softly. "She has a point."

"Just…just be careful, okay?" Shuuhei said as he looked down at Hitomi. "The last thing I need is your father wanting to kill me more than he already does."

Hitomi held her Zanpaktou up. "I won't let you down, Shuuhei-fukutaicho!"

"All right." Shuuhei said, getting into a battle stance and tightening his grip on the chains. "Let's do this."

Hitomi barely had time to prepare herself before Kira had sat up a barrier containing himself, Matsumoto, and Hinamori while Shuuhei brought Allon down with a kido move.

"Let's move, Hitomi!" Shuuhei said as he leapt into the air with his Zanpaktou.

Hitomi mimicked his actions. Just as she was about to call for Oniyuri, Allon's head spun around like an owls. She bit back a scream and backpedaled away. "Shuuhei, watch out!"

Shuuhei barely had time to avoid being struck by Allon's fist. He landed on the ground while Hitomi continued to hover in the air. "Hitomi, get away from it!"

Hitomi couldn't move. She watched in horror as Allon righted itself and broke the chains Shuuhei had used on it as though they were made of paper. Her breath caught in her throat as Allon stared up at her with its empty eyes. Before she had time to blink, Allon reached up and grabbed her.

"Hitomi!" Shuuhei rushed forward to try and save the terrified shinigami child. He was so focused on Hitomi clutched in Allon's hand that he didn't see Allon move forward. He gasped as Allon caught him in his other hand.

"S-Shuuhei!" Hitomi coughed out. She cried out in pain as Allon squeezed her tightly like she was a stress ball to pop.

"Hang in there, Hitomi." Shuuhei said weakly. "Everything's going to…be…" His voice died in his throat as Allon opened its mouth and roared.

Hitomi weakly lifted her head. She knew some of her bones were broken. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Iba appear behind Allon to attack it. Her words of encouragement died in her throat as Allon blasted Iba away with a cero without even turning its head. Hitomi screamed again as Allon squeezed her again.

"Damn monster, leave her alone!" Shuuhei yelled. He grunted as Allon roughly slammed him into the wall of one of the surrounding buildings. He gasped as Allon threw Hitomi to the ground so it could use both hands to crush Shuuhei.

Allon threw Shuuhei to the ground once it was done with him and made its way towards where Kira was healing Matsumoto and Hinamori.

Hitomi turned her head to the side and looked at Shuuhei whom had landed a few feet from her. She could feel warm blood dribbling from her mouth. "S-Shuuhei, are you…are you okay?" A coldness swept through her when Shuuhei didn't respond. _I'm scared…_

"What troublesome children you all are."

"Yamamoto-Taicho…" Hitomi weakly looked up at the first division captain.

Yamamoto looked down at the small child. "Really, making an old man like me have to join in the fight"


	43. The Fall of Allon

**Illidan the Half Demon: Haha, I totally pictured Yamamoto just sitting in the middle of battle and sipping tea with Hitomi. It was hilarious!**

**Sakura02: Lol, maybe somebody else will wind up saving everyone…**

**XeniaKunoichi: It's called **

**KakashiisWifey: You never know; I may surprise you and change it up. The website is **

**Aiedail's Scepter: No, she's back in her child form now**

**Sasuhinafan121: Ichigo and the others are currently still in Hueco Mundo**

**Mizora-san: I don't think he's mad. More annoyed that his vice-captains can't handle something on their own. **

**Thanks: Scarlette Shizuru, dark machine, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, xx1ofAKindxx, Captain Mishiro, Arcee-chan, lovelyanimeangel, Lina Schiffer, SereiteiFantasy, ShimmerMist, and AnimeCrazed121 for reviewing!**

* * *

Hitomi shakily stood up. She was rather surprised she could stand at all considering she was sure Allon had broken most of her bones. She took a deep breath and found that there was only a slight twinge of pain. She bent her arms and kicked her legs up into the air to confirm that she was indeed completely fine. She blinked as Yamamoto whapped her lightly on the head with his staff.

Yamamoto's eyes didn't stray from Allon as he spoke to Hitomi. "You are just full of surprises, Hitomi."

Kira bowed low to Yamamoto. "Please forgive us! We should've dealt with this creature on our own!"

Yamamoto waved his hand dismissively. "Stop bowing. Look at your enemy."

Hitomi looked up and was surprised to see a rather large hole in the right side of Allon's chest. "You're amazing, Yamamoto-taicho!" Her excitement quickly died as Allon began howling in fury. "I think you upset it…"

"How can it still be alive?" Kira asked in shock.

Yamamoto clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "It seems it needs to be punished some more."

Hitomi shuddered at the dark look on Yamamoto's face and made a mental note to never upset him. She reached her hand down to her side to touch Oniyuri and frowned. It was strange. Oniyuri was upset by something and seemed to be struggling against something. She squeezed her eyes shut tight to try and feel the other Zanpaktou. They felt distant, as though they were no longer there. She blinked out of her thoughts when she felt an arm grab her and yank her back.

"Now is not the time to be daydreaming." Kira scolded. He blinked when Hitomi placed her hand on his Zanpaktou. "What's wrong, Hitomi?"

"Where are you, Wabisuke?" She whispered.

Kira was about to question her when Allon suddenly charged at Yamamoto. He wasn't surprised when Yamamoto easily dodged Allon. After all, the old man was the head of the Gotei 13. They wouldn't allow just anyone to be their leader.

Hitomi looked up as well, in time to see Yamamoto's staff disappearing and his Zanpaktou appearing. "So that's where he hides it. No wonder Ryujin always has a hard time talking…"

"Hitomi, what are you talking about?" Kira asked, tearing his eyes away from Yamamoto dealing with Allon. "You make it sound as though you know the Zanpaktou."

"Well," Hitomi bit her lip, thinking of what to say. Ryujin was still working for Yamamoto but she knew that was not as powerful as Ryujin truly was. Something was wrong.

Allon howling in rage as he was split in half saved Hitomi from having to answer Kira's question. "Shouldn't he be dead now?" Hitomi asked in disbelief as half of Allon attempted to stand up to continue fighting. Allon truly was a monster. Yamamoto didn't see this, though, as his back was to the creature. Hitomi rushed forward. "Tobikau Oniyuri!" She slashed Allon multiple times until all that was left were small pieces.

"Hitomi," Yamamoto said sternly. "you've left too much of it behind. You must destroy it so that it has no possible chance of ever returning." As he said this, he incinerated what little was left of Allon.

Hitomi simply grinned. "Sorry, Yamamoto-taicho. I won't mess up next time."

Yamamoto nodded and reached out to pat Hitomi on the head. "Good girl. Kira," Yamamoto turned his attention to the shell shocked vice captain. "Hurry up and put up a barrier. This isn't over. Hitomi, remember, these people are our enemies. No matter what bonds you may have formed with them, never forget that they've hurt you and your family."

Hitomi looked up and saw that Appaci, Sun-Sun, and Mila Rose were attempting to attack Yamamoto from behind. She clutched Oniyuri tightly, wondering if she could fight them. Flashes of the three playing with her, protecting her from an angry Grimmjow…she lowered her head. "I know, Yamamoto-taicho…"

"Good girl." Yamamoto said again as he brought Ryujin up. "I won't make them suffer. They should be commended for trying to attack me."

Hitomi felt the heat from Yamamoto's attack on her back as he burned the three Arrancar. She looked up in time to see what was left of the three Arrancar fall to the ground. She closed her eyes. "Goodbye…" She looked around, trying to find Hitsugaya, trying to see how his fight with Halibel was going. She breathed a sigh of relief to see that their fight hadn't quite begun yet. "What should we do, Yamamoto-taicho?"

"My Arrancar," Aizen's voice called, the ring of fire that had kept him and the other two traitors trapped suddenly disappearing. "we will be retreating back to Hueco Mundo for now." His smirking face turned towards Yamamoto. "I'll even return the shinigami and humans that are currently in Hueco Mundo. My gift to you."

Yamamoto glared suspiciously at Aizen. "You think we're going to just allow you to get away?"

Aizen's smirk only widened. "It's not as though you can do much. Not with your Zanpaktou in the state they're in. I'm sure Hitomi has already realized it."

Hitomi rapidly shook her head as she felt eyes turn to her. She glared up at Aizen as he tore open a portal. "What are you planning, Aizen?"

"It's nothing I'm planning." Aizen said as the Arrancar all gathered to him. "I just think it will be fun to watch. I'll let you go home for now, Hitomi. But don't forget, you belong to me now." With those parting words, Aizen disappeared.

Everyone was still and silent for a moment. It was finally Ikkaku who broke the silence. "What the hell just happened?"

"Well, apparently Aizen is giving us a vacation." Hitomi said. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Matsumoto gasp. She was at Matsumoto's side in an instant, smiling in relief when she saw Matsumoto's eyes were open. "Matsumoto-mama!"

Matsumoto smiled weakly at Hitomi. She held up a shaky hand and placed it on Hitomi's cheek. "I'm sorry, Hitomi. I'm such a bad mommy. I made you worry."

Hitomi shook her head and kissed Matsumoto's cheek. "You're the best mommy in the whole world!"

By now, all of the shinigami had gathered together to discuss what had just happened. A portal appeared over their heads and all the shinigami and humans that had been in Hueco Mundo fell through.

Ichigo rubbed his head as he looked around. "I'm confused. I was just about to fight Ulquiorra and then, this hole just opened up under me…"

"Aizen said something was about to happen and it involved the Zanpaktou." Hitsugaya looked down when he felt someone smaller than him latch onto him. He allowed a brief smile to flicker across his face as he hugged Hitomi back. "Hitomi, do you know what he was talking about?"

Hitomi bit her lip, torn between telling them what she was feeling and the promise she had made to all the Zanpaktou. Finally, she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." Yamamoto finally called everyone to attention. "We have a chance now to fortify our defenses and grow even stronger. We must get the wounded back to Soul Society and set up stronger defenses for Karakura Town."

* * *

"Hitomi," Unohana said gently. "you should go home. I'm sure Hitsugaya-taicho is worried about you."

Hitomi shook her head stubbornly. She was sitting beside Matsumoto's unconscious form in the 4th division. "Daddy knows where I am. I want to stay with Matsumoto-mama and make sure she's okay."

Unohana sighed. "All right. I'll bring you a blanket."

As soon as Unohana had left the room, Hitomi turned her attention to Hai Neko. She frowned as she glided her hand across the Zanpaktou. She could barely hear Hai Neko's voice. "What's wrong, Hai Neko?" When she got no response, Hitomi went back over to Matsumoto's bedside. She rested her head on the edge of the bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

**So, I really liked the filler arc with all the Zanpaktou so that's what we're going to be doing now. Sorry if the whole Aizen letting everyone retreat and be free was kind of lame. They never explained in the episodes how it happened. Everyone was fighting in one episode and the next they were all fine and at the beach so I had to come up with something on my own. Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	44. The Beach

**Scarlette Shizuru: I figured I'd let Hitomi help out a little with Allon. But, yes, in the manga, it was Yamamoto that killed Allon.**

**Sayonara Yasashii Akumu: Yes, we are just taking a brief break from the main fighting for these fillers and then will return to the manga storyline.**

**Sakura02: Lol, you know Hitomi's going to be chasing Hyorinmaru's tail around**

**Sun Geisha: The filler arcs that are about to happen started right after Allon was killed by Yamamoto. **

**Thanks: sAppHiRa-hiMe, Icealeena, shinigami777, Thunder Claw03, cherry-888, KakashiisWifey, Captain Mishiro, Aiedail's Scepter, Autobot traitor, lovelyanimeangel, Mizora-san, missymoo11, SeireiteiFantasy, XeniaKunoichi, Lina Schiffer, and PunkRockHolly for reviewing!**

* * *

"Matsumoto-mama, can we go to the beach now?" Hitomi whined as she followed Matsumoto around the swimsuit store. She hated shopping! All she wanted to do was go find seashells and build a sand castle. She didn't see the need for a bathing suit. Her clothes would do just fine in her opinion.

"Nonsense." Matsumoto giggled as she tugged Hitomi along. "Finding a cute bathing suit is the most important part of going to the beach." Matsumoto looked thoughtfully at the children's bathing suit before finally selecting one. "Here we are! You'll look so cute in this, Hitomi!"

Hitomi eyed the atrocity nervously. It was a simple green bikini. The top was a ruffled top and the bottom looked like a skirt. Under normal circumstances, Hitomi would've vehemently argued against the swimsuit. However, Matsumoto had just recently recovered from the fight with Allon and Hitomi didn't want to upset her. "Fine." Hitomi finally sighed.

"That's my girl!" Matsumoto squealed as she hugged Hitomi. She rushed off to go purchase their bathing suits.

"You're such a sweet little girl."

Hitomi frowned as someone ruffled her hair. She looked up and found that it was Yorichi. She had met Yorichi only a few short hours ago when the group had arrived in the real world. She found she got along fairly well with Yorichi and she suspected it was likely due to Yorichi reminding her of Matsumoto. "Have you already got your bathing suit, Yorichi?"

Yorichi grinned. "Of course."

"Hitomi, come change into your bathing suit for me!" Matsumoto called.

A few moments later, the group was changed and out on the beach. Hitomi was eager to go play in the sand but was stopped due to Ichigo appearing. "Hi, Ichigo!" She yelled.

Ichigo smiled and patted her hair. "Yo, Hitomi. How are you?"

Hitomi frowned. "I'm okay. I hate this stupid bathing suit."

"Really?" Ichigo knelt down to Hitomi's level. "I think you look really cute." He smiled brightly at the little girl before standing up, missing how red Hitomi's cheeks became to go talk to Byakuya.

"Blue, let's go build a sand castle!" Yachiru grinned at her friend.

Before Hitomi could respond, Ukitake, Sentaro, Renji, and Ukitake appeared. "Yo, Hitomi." Renji grinned as the little girl launched herself into his arms.

Ukitake smiled warmly at Hitomi. "Are you having fun, Hitomi?"

"I guess." Hitomi said. She wished Hitsugaya had come with them but he had flat out refused when she and Matsumoto had brought it up. She frowned as she looked at Ukitake. "Is it okay for you to be outside, Ukitake?"

Ukitake chuckled. "Don't worry about me, Hitomi. I've been feeling fine lately. It feels good to get…out…side…" His voice trailed off as he collapsed to the ground.

"Ukitake died!" Hitomi shrieked.

After a moments panic, the group managed to get Ukitake under the shade of a their beach umbrella while Kiyone and Sentaro frantically fanned their captain.

"Someone should go get ice." Rukia said.

"I'll go." Ichigo and Renji volunteered at the same time.

"Me too!" Hitomi shouted as the two boys started walking off. She ran to catch up with their long strides. After she managed to catch up, Hitomi tugged impatiently at Renji's shirt until the red head picked her up and put her on his shoulders.

"You get spoiled a lot, don't you?" Ichigo stared up at Hitomi perched on Renji's shoulders.

"Yup." Hitomi said proudly. "Hey, can we get some ice?" Hitomi asked once the trio entered the small beach restaurant. She blinked when the person manning the front turned around. "Orihime!"

"Hi, Hitomi-chan! Kurosaki-kun, Abarai-kun." Orihime grinned as Hitomi leapt off of Renji's shoulders and rushed over to hug her.

"What are you doing here, Inoue?" Ichigo asked.

Orihime grinned as she picked Hitomi up. "Working. Ishida-kun and Sado-kun are here too."

Hitomi's eyes lit up when she saw Ishida busy cooking and Chad bringing in a box of canned drinks. She hadn't seen the two in quite a while and had missed them terribly. "Orihime, you have to come play with me later, okay?"

"We rented out the whole beach." Renji explained since Ichigo still looked confused. "Unohana-taicho asked these three to come work here for the day."

"Oh, yeah, don't you guys need ice?" Orihime asked after assuring Hitomi she would play with her later.

"Yeah!" Hitomi yelped, suddenly remembering why they had come in the first place. "Ukitake fainted from the heat!"

"I told him not to overdo it." An irritated voice sighed from the corner.

Hitomi looked over and squealed in delight. "Daddy!" She screamed as she launched herself from Orihime's arms and over to Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya sighed as he caught Hitomi and allowed her to latch onto him. He glared over at Ichigo whom was looking dubiously at him. "What?" He snapped.

Ichigo shook his head. "Nothing. Uh, so, where's the ice."

Hitsugaya sighed as he stood up. "I'll have to make some."

"Hitsugaya agreed to be our ice maker using Hyorinmaru." Orihime explained with a smile on her face.

Hitomi grinned as she followed Hitsugaya outside. It seemed Hyorinmaru was doing just fine. After returning to Soul Society, the strange feelings Hitomi had received from the Zanpaktou had vanished. She was curious as to what had happened but none of the Zanpaktou would tell her so she shrugged it off.

Ichigo stared dubiously at the giant ice dragon in the sand. "That's way too big…"

Hitomi skipped over to the ice and chipped off a few large pieces. "I got some, Ichigo!" She allowed Ichigo to take the ice from her and put it in a bag. While Ichigo and Renji headed back towards the group, Hitomi lingered back for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want to come play, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya shook his head as he sheathed his Zanpaktou. "I hate the heat." He sighed when he saw the downcast look on Hitomi's face. He knelt down in front of the little girl and poked her head. "When we get back to Soul Society, I'll spend a whole day with you."

Hitomi's eyes lit up. "Just the two of us?" At Hitsugaya's affirmative nod, Hitomi squealed and hugged the young captain tightly. "I love you, Daddy!" She shouted as she kissed his cheek and ran off to join the group.

Matsumoto's eyes lit up as Hitomi ran back over to the group. "Perfect timing, Hitomi! You're on mine and Orihime's team!"

"What team?" Hitomi blinked, tilting her head to the side.

"We're having a sand sculpture contest." Orihime explained as she led Hitomi over to the spot she and Matsumoto had located. She looked around thoughtfully. "We need buckets to wet the sand…"

Matsumoto grinned. "No we don't. We can use our boobs to transport the water!"

Hitomi frowned and looked down at her flat chest. "I can't do that, Matsumoto-mama!" Hitomi whined.

"Don't worry." Matsumoto smiled as she patted Hitomi's head. "Just watch Orihime-chan and me so you can learn for when you're older."

"Absolutely not!" Nanao protested vehemently. "You can't teach Hitomi such lewd habits! She has a very impressionable mind! What kind of example are you setting for her?"

Growing bored, Hitomi decided to take a walk along the beach. She kicked the sand in front of her and danced away when the waves came too close to her. She was so busy playing that she didn't pay much attention to how far away she had gotten from everyone. "Uh-oh." She muttered to herself. "Ichigo will probably get mad at me for wandering off."

"What are you doing here, little girl?"

Hitomi blinked and looked up at the person before her. He was a strange looking man. He had striking turquoise eyes that were surrounded by what looked like purple makeup. His shaggy brown hair went to his shoulders and he smiled eerily at Hitomi. What struck Hitomi as odd was the fact that he was wearing a long white coat with a large fur collar in the middle of the beach. That, and that he was slightly translucent. "I was playing. I'm going back to my family now."

The man knelt in front of Hitomi. He reached out with his hand and chuckled when Hitomi flinched way from his rather long fingernails. "Don't worry. I have no plans of hurting you. You love all the Zanpaktou, don't you?"

"Of course." Hitomi said. "They're my family too."

"Then, will you help us?" The man asked.

"Help you?" Hitomi frowned, confused. "What do you…"

"Blue, there you are!" Yachiru shrieked as she rushed over to Hitomi.

Hitomi glanced over at Yachiru before turning back to the man. She frowned when she saw he had vanished. "What's wrong, Pink?"

Yachiru paused to catch her breath. "We've started the whack-the-watermelon game! Hurry or there won't be any left!"

Hitomi ran off after her friend, only once glancing over her shoulder to see whether the strange man was there. She frowned when she saw him once again standing there, watching her.

By the time the two had gotten back, what appeared to be a giant watermelon hollow had been destroyed. Hitomi pouted. "I wanted to play…"

"Why would you want to play a stupid game like this?" Ichigo shouted.

Unohana chuckled and patted Hitomi's head. "Don't worry, I brought plenty for everyone."

At that moment, multiple watermelon hollows erupted from the ground around them. Hitomi's eyes lit up. "I'll get some watermelon for me and Daddy to share!" As she and Yachiru attacked one of the watermelon hollows, Hitomi forgot all about the strange man.


	45. Zanpaktou Rebellion

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update! October is a bit of a crazy month what with the start of the holiday season and midterms. I hope you can all forgive me!**

**Scarlette Shizuru: Yes, we're beginning fillers right now**

**Sakura02: Lol, yeah, poor little Toshiro would get burned to a crisp. I added Muramasa in to just kind of set up for this chapter. **

**Mizora-san: It's Muramasa. I'm not sure what episode he first showed up in.**

**Thanks to: ImJustNutty, rockbabyval, Thunder Claw03, infinitelightningx, lovelyanimeangel, cherry-888, xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, PunkRockHolly, marc, Kuriseteina, music fans, KakashiisWifey, nemos, XeniaKunoichi, Aidail's Scepter, Sky Painter, Illidan the Half Demon, and xXChild of DestinyXx for reviewing.**

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Hitomi blinked as she looked around her surroundings. She had gone to bed in her room. Now, she was sitting in a dark, dank cave. "Where am I?"

"Hitomi-sama is here too!" Haineko squealed as she hugged the little girl. "Are you going to help us?"

"Haineko, please be silent." Shirayuki said softly as she knelt beside the clearly confused girl. She smiled warmly and smoothed Hitomi's hair down. "All will be explained soon enough, Hitomi-sama."

"Don't be scared, Hitomi-sama." A small boy in a white kimono tentatively stepped towards Hitomi and knelt in front of her. He lowered his head, hiding his golden cat like eyes behind his white bangs, his snow white cat ears lowered. Black streaks went through his hair and his striped tail swished nervously about. "I won't let anything harm you."

Hitomi tilted her head to the side before her eyes widened. "Oniyuri!"

The boy nodded shyly, his eyes briefly flickering up to meet Hitomi's. "Yes, Hitomi-sama."

"But, I thought you were bigger." Hitomi said, clearly confused.

"This is my true form, Hitomi-sama. Does it displease you?" He gasped as Hitomi hugged him tightly.

"Aw, how sickeningly adorable." Kazeshini sneered as he crouched on the upper wall.

"Leave Hitomi-sama alone!" Suzumebachi screeched. She smiled brightly as she fluttered over to Hitomi and hugged the small girl. "Hitomi-sama, are you really going to help us?"

Hitomi was about to question Suzumebachi when the sound of a door opening rang through the cave. She looked up, her eyes widening when she saw the man walking down the steps. "It's you! The man from the beach!"

The man inclined his head to Hitomi before turning his attention to Tobiume whom was patiently waiting on the stairs for him. He motioned behind him. "He's our new friend. Look after him."

"Hyorinmaru!" Hitomi cried out, running up the stairs and hugging the Zanpaktou spirit tightly. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Hyorinmaru stared at her blankly. "Who are you?"

"Never mind him for now, Hitomi-sama." The man motioned for the young girl to come to him.

Hesitantly, Hitomi let go of Hyorinmaru, a frown marring her face. How was it possible that Hyorinmaru, who was always the first Zanpaktou spirit to appear when Hitomi awoke from a nightmare, didn't know who she was. Hitomi blinked as a small hand enclosed over hers. She looked up into the soft eyes of Oniyuri.

Oniyuri led Hitomi over to the man, bowing deeply but never releasing Hitomi's hand.

The man knelt in front of Hitomi. "The shinigami's era is coming to a close. Will you help us bring the curtain down on it?"

Hitomi woke in her bed with a sudden start. Sweat dripped across her face as she breathed heavily. There was a sharp pain in her chest and no matter how tightly she clutched at it, it wouldn't go away. After a moment, her breathing slowed and the pain ebbed away to a dull ache. Hitomi glanced out her window and saw the sun was high in the sky. "I overslept!" She wailed in despair.

She climbed out of bed and grabbed Oniyuri from the corner. She frowned as her hand connected with the Zanpaktou. Something felt wrong. Oniyuri felt further away, distant even. Something tugged at the back of her mind and she tried to recall the dream she had just had. Only broken fragments came to her and she eventually gave up on the business.

"Hitomi, please come quick!" An officer from the tenth division panted out.

Hitomi blinked. "What's wrong? I have to go help Shuuhei-fukutaicho out."

"It's Matsumoto-fukutaicho! She's gone crazy!" The officer shouted.

"Matsumoto-mama?" Hitomi's eyes widened in alarm. She quickly followed the officer to the tenth division. She frowned at the large group of tenth division officers peering nervously towards the main office's doors where a yelling and loud crashes could be heard. Hitomi slipped through them and into the main office.

"What the hell is going on?" Hitsugaya snapped as he came storming around the corner. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Hitomi standing at the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

Hitomi grinned and ran over to Hitsugaya. "Hi, Daddy. One of the officers said something was wrong with Matsumoto-mama so I came to check on her. I think she's throwing another temper tantrum."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "All of you, get back to work!" He snapped at the loitering group. As soon as they all dispersed, he led Hitomi into the office. He frowned as Matsumoto plopped down on the couch and continued ranting and raving. "Matsumoto, why are you throwing a tantrum?"

"Yeah," Hitomi piped up, climbing onto the couch to sit beside the startled fukutaicho. "What's wrong, Matsumoto-mama?"

Matsumoto sighed as she glared accusingly at the sword stabbed into the coffee table. "Oh, I was just having a conversation with Haineko."

Hitomi frowned as an irritatingly familiar voice came from the doorway. Not a second later, Momo opened the door with Isane beside her. Hitomi smiled politely at the two before going over to the table where Haineko was lodged.

Something was wrong. A fragment of her dream returned to Hitomi. Reaching out, Hitomi gingerly ran her hand along Haineko's blade. "What's wrong with everyone?"

Isane frowned. "Actually, for the past couple of days, Itegumo hasn't been very responsive."

"Daddy?" Hitomi perked up as Hitsugaya spun on his heels to leave. She followed close behind him as he left the room. "What's wrong, Daddy? Is something wrong with Hyorinmaru too?"

Hitsugaya stared down at Hitomi for a moment. "No, it's nothing. You should get back to the ninth division. I'm sure you have some duties that you're shirking right now." He smirked as Hitomi laughed nervously. Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, he patted Hitomi's head affectionately. "Don't worry. Everything's fine."

Hitomi smiled briefly at Hitsugaya. She hugged him tightly before running off around the corner. As soon as she was out of Hitsugaya's sight, she slowed down to a walk and her smile turned to a frown. Everything wasn't fine, and she knew it. Something was very wrong and it had to do with the Zanpaktou. If only she could remember her dream.

* * *

It was late in the evening when the Hell Butterfly appeared. Hitomi was busy helping Shuuhei put away papers in their proper files. She let out a loud yawn.

Shuuhei chuckled and walked over to her, yanking the papers from her hands. "Go back to your room and go to sleep. You're dad will kill me if he thinks I'm overworking you."

Hitomi shook her head in protest. "I don't want to go to sleep. When I do I…" She trailed off, suddenly not wishing to tell Shuuhei about the strange dreams she'd been having.

Shuuhei would have pressed her further if not for the Hell Butterfly appearing through the window. He frowned as the Hell Butterfly relayed its message. "I wonder why you're being summoned too…"

Hitomi frowned as well. It was a meeting for captains and vice-captains, there was no reason for her to be there, yet the Hell Butterfly had specifically said both her and Shuuhei's names. "I wonder if something happened."

"Well, let's go find out." Shuuhei led Hitomi to the grounds where what seemed like ages ago, Rukia's execution was supposed to have been held. Speaking of the Kuchiki… "Rukia!"

Rukia blinked as Hitomi ran over and hugged her. "Hitomi, you got summoned too?"

"Yeah. Do you know what's going on?" Hitomi asked. She yelped as someone suddenly picked her up. She turned slightly before a grin split her face. "Hi, Kyouraku."

Kyouraku gave her a matching grin. "I think it's passed your bedtime young lady. What are you doing here?"

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out indignantly. "It's not passed my bedtime! I'm a shinigami and shinigami don't have bedtimes."

"Hitomi, what are you doing here?"

"Daddy!" Hitomi leapt from Kyouraku's arms and latched onto Hitsugaya. "I got summoned along with Shuuhei." She looked around nervously as a sudden fog appeared and began thickening. Something was wrong. "Daddy…"

Hitsugaya put Hitomi on the ground but placed her firmly behind him. "What's going on?"

Just as suddenly as the fog had appeared, it disappeared. Standing before the assembled group was the vice-captain of the first division. Hitomi frowned as she stared at the man. Something was so very wrong. Her eyes widened as he suddenly pitched forward. "Daddy, what's going on?"

"Stay close to me." Hitsugaya hissed as he whipped around, his hand on his Zanpaktou. He stiffened when a strange man appeared behind him.

Hitomi gasped when she saw the man. Her dream came back to her in a sudden rush and she realized with a sinking feeling that it hadn't been a dream at all. "Who are you?"

The man looked at her before smiling coolly. "Unfortunately, the Captain-Commander will not be able to join all of you tonight. Hitomi-sama, I trust you are doing well."

"You know him?" Hitsugaya snapped as he turned to Hitomi.

Hitomi shook her head quickly. "No! I don't even know his name!"

Komamura suddenly appeared in front of the man, glowering down at him. "What have you done to the captain?" When the man refused to answer, only keeping the smug smirk on his face, Komamura drew his sword. "Bankai!"

Suddenly, Hitomi understood. She understood why the man had asked her to help the Zanpaktou, why the spirits of all the Zanpaktou had been assembled in the cave, as though they were waiting for something. Her eyes widened as Tengen appeared. As the Zanpaktou raised it sword in attack, Hitomi screamed out "Tengen, don't! Don't hurt Komamura-san!"

Komamura barely managed to roll out of the way of the vicious attack.

All those that had heard Hitomi cried out turned to the little girl. "Hitomi, how did you…?" Ukitake's eyes widened as Hitomi suddenly ran out towards the fight. "Hitomi!"

Hitomi rushed over as the large form of Komamura's Bankai disappeared. "Tengen, stop! Komamura-san is your friend. Don't hurt him!" She rushed forward, her arms spread out, standing protectively in front of Komamura.

Komamura shakily stood up, his eyes wide as he stared at the strange creature before him. The creature was much taller than himself, with fire spitting from its mouth. The creature's skin was red and its eyes glowed gold. "T-This is…Tengen?"

Hitomi cried out as Tengen brought his sword down to clash with Komamura. "Tengen, stop it! Why are you doing this?"

Tengen stared at her for a moment. With one hand, he easily flicked Hitomi out of the way. "Don't interfere, Hitomi-sama."

"Hitomi, are you okay?" Rukia rushed over with Matsumoto close behind her. "What's going on?"

Hitomi winced as Tengen defeated Komamura as though he were nothing. "The Zanpaktou…everyone's Zanpaktou…they're all screaming…" Her eyes widened as Hitsugaya jumped into the fray, summoning Hyorinmaru. "Daddy, don't! You can't summon Hyorinmaru!"

Indeed, Hyorinmaru didn't answer Hitsugaya's call. Nor did Suzumebachi answer Soi Fon or Zabimaru to Renji. "I can't feel any reiatsu in my Zanpaktou!" Renji howled in frustration.

"What did you do?" Mayuri asked, genuinely curious and seemingly unbothered by the fact that he couldn't summon his Zanpaktou.

The man stared blankly at all of them. "I freed all of them from you Shinigami. Isn't that right, Hitomi-sama. You've seen them for yourself."

"Hitomi?" Matsumoto asked, disbelief on his face.

Before Hitomi could answer, four explosions resonated through Soul Society. She flinched as she heard the voices of the Zanpaktou that had caused the explosions. "Kazeshini…Tobiume…Hozukimaru…Shirayuki…" Tears filled her eyes. "Why…why are you all doing this?"

The man wiped a bloody tear from his eye. "I've done this merely to show you how strong my comrades are. I want all of you to behold the power of the Zanpaktou that you thought to lord over!"

Suddenly, they all appeared, the physical forms of the Zanpaktou. Hitomi stood up and looked at all of them. None of the other shinigami recognized them in their physical forms but she did. She knew every single one of them. Had spoken to all of them. She blinked as Oniyuri appeared beside her. "Oniyuri, why?"

Oniyuri lowered his head, as though he were shamed. "I'm sorry, Hitomi-sama…" He walked forward to join the others.

Byakuya stepped forward, his face as impassive as ever. "Who are you?"

The man with the ever present smirk stared at all the shinigami assembled, their Zanpaktou's standing behind him. "I'm Muramasa. Tonight is the end of the Shinigami Era. From now on, we Zanpaktou will rule of the Shinigami." A sword suddenly appeared in his hand. He spun it around before slamming the blade into the ground, causing blue fire to spark up and split the ground and rise up beneath him and the Zanpaktou.

Hitomi stood beside Matsumoto and clutched her hand tightly. "Matsumoto-mama, what are we going to do?"

Matsumoto stared angrily at the assembled Zanpaktou and Muramasa. "I don't know, Hitomi. I don't know."

Muramasa looked down at Hitomi and held a clawed hand out to her. "Hitomi-sama, you've heard the Zanpaktou crying out all these years. You've spoken to them and love all of them. You told me yourself. Won't you help us in our mission?"

Hitomi glared angrily at the man. "Shut up! The Zanpaktou…they all love their masters! I've never…they've never told me they were unhappy! They were always happy!"

"Ah, you've all disillusioned the poor thing." Muramasa frowned at the Zanpaktou standing with him. "You did not let her see the truth of your pain."

"It wouldn't do any good to upset Hitomi-sama." Tobiume said softly. "She's just a child after all."

"Hitomi, what is he talking about?" Renji shouted.

Muramasa smirked down at him. "Hitomi-sama has been communicating with all your Zanpaktou since she was a baby. She has been able to see their physical forms and hear their voices since before she could even speak or walk herself. Isn't that right, Hitomi-sama?"

"Hitomi?" Matsumoto asked, disbelief on her face.

"I'm sure we'd all like to know if that's true or not," Kyouraku said, stepping forward. "but that will have to wait. Where's Yama-jii? He's the one that summoned all of us here. Won't you tell us where he is?"

Hitomi shuddered. She could hear the coldness in Kyouraku's voice, signaling the man was in an uncommonly serious mood.

"We've locked him away." Muramasa answered dismissively. "His Zanpaktou, Ryujin, refused to join us. So, we sealed him away."

Kyouraku scoffed. "You can't really expect us to believe that."

"It doesn't matter whether you do or not." Muramasa stated. "It is reality. Ask Hitomi-sama. She sensed it when it happened."

Hitomi wilted under the stares of all the Shinigami. "I did feel something strange earlier, but I didn't know what it was…I didn't know Yamamoto-taicho was in trouble…"

"Leave her alone." Hitsugaya grit out, glaring furiously at Muramasa.

"Daddy…" Hitomi's eyes widened as Ikkaku suddenly rushed forward to try and attack Muramasa. His attack was thwarted by the one Zanpaktou Hitomi loved above all the others, aside from her own. "Ikkaku, don't!"

"Hitomi, you better explain everything to us when this is all over." Ikkaku grit out, his sword locked with Hyorinmaru's. "Anymore more conversation with this idiot is a waste of time, though."

Ukitake nodded and drew his sword, as did Kyouraku and the other captains. Hitomi remained back, hesitating. Her hand clenched and unclenched against the hilt of her sword, unsure of what to do. She couldn't let the enemy hurt Hitsugaya or the others, they were her family. At the same time, the enemy was her other family, the one that always saved her from her nightmares when no one else heard her crying. She blinked as Oniyuri appeared before her. "Oniyuri, why? Why are you all doing this?"

Again, Oniyuri lowered his head. "Please, run away from here, Hitomi-sama." He said quietly. "Don't let Muramasa…" He cried out as Rukia knocked him away from Hitomi.

"Let's go, Hitomi!" Rukia shouted as Mayuri's Zanpaktou floated lazily overhead, ready to drop poison onto all their heads.

"This way!" Renji scooped Hitomi up under his arm and ran away from the fight, Rukia close behind him.

"Daddy! Matsumoto-mama!" Hitomi cried out as the captains and vice-captains all retreated. She couldn't see either Hitsugaya or Matsumoto anywhere.

When they were a safe distance away from the battleground, Renji put Hitomi on the ground, holding one of her hands tightly in his and continuing to run with Rukia beside them. "What the hell is going on, Hitomi? Why did that guy say you could speak to all the Zanpaktou?"

"Because I can…" Hitomi said softly. "I've always been able to. Rukia knows."

Rukia nodded, remembering the day Hitomi had told her and sworn her to secrecy. "Did you know they were going to attack?"

"No!" Hitomi shouted. "I never…they never told me!"

"We didn't want to bother Hitomi-sama with such petty details."

"Kazeshini!" Hitomi gasped as said Zanpaktou suddenly appeared. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Wabisuke was there as well, staring silently at them. "You guys have to stop this! That Muramasa guy…"

"He's freed us." Kazeshini sneered. He suddenly flash stepped forward and appeared in front of Rukia before disappearing again. He was before Hitomi then, grabbing her arm and hoisting her to her feet. "You might want to move, Hitomi-sama."

"Renji! Rukia!" Hitomi cried out as Kazeshini carried her up into the air while the two shinigami were electrocuted. She glared at Kazeshini, angry at him and the other Zanpaktou for causing so much destruction. "Let me go!" She bit his arm, startling the Zanpaktou and causing him to drop her. A whoosh of air left Hitomi as her back connected with the roof of the building beneath her.

"Are you okay, Hitomi?" Rukia winced as she was thrown right beside Hitomi. She looked up in time to see Wabisuke coming towards them, ready for another attack.

Wabisuke was suddenly stopped by a kido attack and flung away.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia exclaimed, seeing her brother on the building opposite of her, Hitomi, and now Renji.

Muramasa appeared with one of the Zanpaktou behind him. "I shouldn't be surprised. You were able to enslave a very powerful Zanpaktou after all."

"Senbonzakura…" Hitomi looked sadly at the stoic Zanpaktou. "You too?"

"All of you, go." Byakuya said as he charged at Senbonzakura.

Hitomi stayed beside Rukia, clutching her hand tightly whether to keep herself from collapsing or to keep Rukia from running away, she wasn't sure. She suddenly felt drained, exhausted, and she couldn't fathom why. Her vision was blurring and fading. The last thing she remembered seeing before blacking out was a Zanpaktou in pure white.

* * *

"Ah, she's finally waking up."

Hitomi groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by a familiarly cheerful face. "Orihime?" She sat up suddenly and looked frantically around. "Where's Rukia? Renji?"

"I'm right here, Hitomi." Rukia said softly from the pallet beside Hitomi's. "I don't know where Renji is. We got separated."

Everything came rushing back to Hitomi at that moment. Tears filled her eyes. "Everyone…I don't understand why they're doing this…"

"That's right. Rukia said you could speak with all the Zanpaktou." A man Hitomi had never seen before said.

Hitomi blinked and stared at him. "Who are you?"

The man laughed good-naturedly. "Ah, I'm sorry. We've never met before, have we, Hitsugaya Hitomi. I'm Urahara Kisuke. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh. You're the creepy pervert Rukia was telling me about." Hitomi giggled at Rukia's flustered face. She suddenly turned serious. "Do you know if everyone's okay?"

"Your father is fine, Hitomi." Yorichi said, a grin on her face. "All the captains are...that we know of. Soul Society is in shambles right now. As of right now, they haven't yet been able to locate Byakuya."

Hitomi looked over at Rukia and saw the worry on her face. "It's okay, Rukia. Byakuya is really strong. He's okay, I'm sure of it."

"She's right." Ichigo said, a confident smile plastered on his face. "Your brother won't go down that easily."

Rukia gave a small smile to the two of them. "Yeah, I know."

Urahara turned his attention to Hitomi. "You can speak to all the Zanpaktou, right? Tell us everything you know about them."

Hitomi stared at her lap for a moment. It felt like she was betraying the Zanpaktou by speaking of them. But, they had betrayed her and the others first, hadn't they? "Okay…"


	46. Chapter 46

**Ahhh! I've been gone forever! Finals are over now and it's Christmas Break so hopefully updates will be more frequent now! Also, this January, there will be two new baby stories! Look for them!**

**Sakura02: Haha, yeah, I didn't realize the chapter was going to wind up being this long.**

**XeniaKunoichi: You'll just have to keep reading to find out :)**

**Thanks so much to: Illidan the Half Demon, SeireiteiFantasy, xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx, shinigami777, Sayonara, Yasashii Akumu, rockbabyval, Scarlette Shizuru, Mizora-san, italktoanimals, lovelyanimeangel, Melbookgrl, KakashiisWifey, qwer1234, 7, and Lina Schiffer for reviewing.**

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Hitomi told the group everything. She told them of how for as long as she could remember, she'd been able to see and speak to the spirits of the Zanpaktou. She told them of how they had sworn her to secrecy.

Urahara remained silent for a moment, staring thoughtfully at Hitomi. "And, what exactly do they want from you?"

"I don't know." Hitomi answered truthfully. She looked at the group sitting around her. "I'm telling the truth. I really don't know."

Ichigo smiled at patted her head. "Don't worry, Hitomi. We believe you. So, is it just the Zanpaktou in Soul Society?"

"I think so." Hitomi said. "I didn't see Zangetsu-san there."

Urahara glanced at Ichigo. "You haven't had any problems with your Zanpaktou?"

"No." Ichigo answered. "What about you?"

"Nope. Benihime has been perfectly fine." Urahara answered.

Hitomi scooted over to Rukia's side and hugged the still clearly distraught shinigami. "He's okay." She whispered. "Byakuya will be okay."

Rukia smiled and patted Hitomi's head. "I know."

For the rest of the day, Hitomi was forbidden from leaving her small pallet. While Urahara and Yorichi made plans on how to possibly capture a Zanpaktou for study, Ichigo, Chad, Orihime, and Ishida kept Hitomi entertained. As dusk fell, the four humans left, leaving Rukia and Hitomi in Kisuke's care. Hitomi lay on her pallet, staring blankly up at the ceiling. "Hey, Rukia, do you think everyone is really okay?"

Rukia turned on her side and smiled at Hitomi. "Of course they are. Now, get some sleep."

"Okay." Hitomi yawned and curled up, dozing off to sleep. She was rudely awakened what felt like only minutes later by a strange stuffed lion crying on Rukia's empty pallet. "Who're you?" She shrieked. "Where's Rukia? Did you eat her?"

The lion looked up, seeming to notice Hitomi for the first time. "I would never eat Rukia-neesan! Who are you?"

"Don't lie!" Hitomi shouted. Leaping from her pallet with her pillow in her hands, Hitomi leapt on top of the lion creature and began smothering it with her pillow. "What'd you do with Rukia?"

"Hitomi, don't kill Kon!" Ichigo shouted, suddenly appearing in the room with Kisuke and Yorichi close behind him. He plucked Hitomi off of Kon and pulled the pillow from her stubborn grip.

Hitomi and Kon both glared at each other suspiciously for a moment. "So, you didn't eat Rukia?" Hitomi asked.

Kon crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course not. I would never hurt Rukia-neesan. What about you?"

Hitomi shook her head rapidly back and forth. "Me neither."

Kisuke frowned thoughtfully. "A Spirit Gate was just recently opened. It's very likely that she returned to Soul Society."

Ichigo frowned, adjusting Hitomi in his arms. "What is she thinking? Her wounds haven't fully recovered."

Hitomi hugged the pillow to her chest, chewing her lip worriedly. "She's really worried about Byakuya…" She blinked as Ichigo put her down on the ground. "Ichigo?"

"Urahara, open the gate." Ichigo said firmly. "I'm going after her."

"That would be unwise." Urahara protested. "We don't know what the situation is over there…"

"I wanna go with Ichigo too!" Hitomi piped up. "I'm worried about Daddy and the others." She grabbed Ichigo's hand and squeezed, smiling brightly up at him.

Yorichi smiled and patted Hitomi's head. "It'll be fine, Kisuke."

Kisuke sighed. "My, what stubborn children. Very well, follow me."

Hitomi kept her grip firmly on Ichigo's hand as Kisuke led them down beneath the shop into what looked like a desert. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought of returning to Soul Society. She hoped everyone was still okay. She blinked as Ichigo squeezed her hand.

"You ready?" Ichigo asked.

Hitomi grinned and nodded her head. "Let's go help Rukia!"


	47. Return to Soul Society

**Sakura02: Lol, it's all good. I know she usually puts honorifics at the ends of people's names but I was really tired when I wrote this and I didn't feel like going back and seeing what she called everyone. Lazy? Yes, yes it is XD. Same thing for the Senkaimon :)**

**Anemos: Lol, as soon as I know more about Muramasa, I will let you know as well :) **

**Mizora-san: The two new stories are a Hetalia one called Little Artic and a Fullmetal Alchemist one called The Little Alchemist. **

**Thanks: SeireiteiFantasy, Illidan the Half Demon, Summer. ice7, shinigami777, XeniaKunoichi, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, Scarlette Shizuru, rockbabyval, and MJea9Wash for reviewing!**

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Hitomi stood in shock at the sight before her. Most of the buildings in Soul Society were completely ruined. Even though Yorichi had told them that the captains were all okay, she was still worried. She had never seen Soul Society in such a state. She blinked as a rough hand landed on her head.

"Come on." Ichigo smiled down at her. "Let's go find Rukia and make sure she's okay."

Hitomi smiled, about to respond when a cold feeling washed over her. One of the Zanpaktou was close by and fighting. Hitomi squeezed her eyes shut, trying to see who it was. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at Ichigo in alarm. "Rukia-neesan is in trouble!" She was off before Ichigo could even say anything.

Ichigo quickly rushed after the little girl. "Do you know where she is?"

Hitomi nodded. She led Ichigo over roofs and all over Soul Society until they finally came to one of the open areas in Soul Society. The two arrived just in time to see Shirayuki attacking Rukia. While Ichigo rushed to Rukia's aide, Hitomi turned to the Zanpaktou. "Shirayuki, stop it!"

Shirayuki glanced briefly over at Hitomi. "Hitomi-sama, I'm sorry, but this fight will not end. We will not stop until we have destroyed the Shinigami." She turned her attention back to the giant ice crystal where she had thought she had killed Rukia. She frowned as black sparks flew out before flying at her. Shirayuki barely dodged them in time.

"Rukia-neesan!" Hitomi wailed as she slid down one of the giant ice crystals to where Rukia sat dumbfounded behind Ichigo. Hitomi threw her arms around Rukia and hugged the older shinigami tightly. "I was really worried about you! Don't ever run off like that again, okay?"

Rukia nodded numbly. She shook herself from her stupor and glared at Ichigo. "You shouldn't be here! We don't yet know what's causing the Zanpaktou to rebel! What if something happens to your Zanpaktou?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I can't just watch from the sidelines. Besides," he turned around and grinned at Rukia. "if we don't know what's causing the rebellion, we'll just have to figure it out."

Rukia gave a small smile before turning back to Hitomi. "You should've stayed with Urahara. I bet your wounds haven't completely healed yet."

Hitomi shook her head. "You had worse wounds then me, but you still came back. I can't just sit around while everyone's getting hurt."

Ichigo turned his attention to Shirayuki whom was floating in the air above him.

"Be careful, Ichigo." Rukia said softly. "She's really tough."

Ichigo shrugged. "I figured that. She's your Zanpaktou after all. Hitomi, you and Rukia stay put, understand?"

Hitomi nodded. "Yes sir!" She brushed some of the stray ice from Rukia's hair and clothes. "Are you okay, Rukia-neesan?"

Rukia nodded, never taking her eyes off of Shirayuki and Ichigo's fight. "Yes."

"They still haven't found Byakuya-san, have they?" Hitomi asked softly.

"No." Rukia answered, flinching as Ichigo barely avoided one of Shirayuki's attacks. She blinked as Hitomi began hugging her again. "Hitomi?"

"He's okay." Hitomi said softly. "Byakuya-san is okay….Ichigo-san!" She cried out as Shirayuki managed to get a rather viscous attack in on Ichigo, sending him flying to the ground.

Rukia wrapped a tight arm around Hitomi's waist, glaring up at Shirayuki as the Zanpaktou smirked down at them. "Hitomi, was Shirayuki ever like this with you?"

Hitomi shook her head rapidly. "She never smirked. She'd only smile real gently, especially when I woke up from a nightmare. She was never like this before."

Rukia nodded her head slowly before standing up. "Hitomi, stay put."

"What are you going to do, Rukia-neesan?" Hitomi asked in alarm as Rukia held her sword tightly at her side. "You're still hurt. You need to rest."

"It'll be okay, Hitomi." Rukia smiled at the little girl. "Just trust me, okay?"

Hitomi reluctantly nodded her head. She watched as Rukia leapt into the air, her sword poised to strike Shirayuki down. Hitomi flinched as Shirayuki easily deflected the attack and knocked Rukia down to where Ichigo was. Ignoring Rukia's orders, Hitomi rushed over to Rukia and Ichigo, standing protectively in front of them with her own sword drawn.

Shirayuki raised an eyebrow. "You would attack me, Hitomi-sama?"

"Don't hurt my friends!" Hitomi shouted angrily. "I love you, Shirayuki. I love you and all the Zanpaktou, but…" She bit her lip before glaring back up at Shirayuki. "If you're going to hurt my friends and my family, I'll fight you!" She blinked as Rukia stepped in front of her. "Rukia-neesan?"

"Hitomi, you and Ichigo stay out of this." Rukia grit out. "This is my fight." She looked back up at Shirayuki. "If you're going to hate someone, hate me, Shirayuki."

Shirayuki nodded her head. "Of course. I loathe you. Therefore," she pointed her sword at Rukia, her eyes filled with hatred. "I will make you suffer. I will take everything you love away from you; your family, your friends, even your pride as a Shinigami."

Rukia nodded slowly, the hatred in Shirayuki's eyes was not reflected in her own. "You truly are my Zanpaktou. You know exactly how to make me suffer." She looked up at Shirayuki. "You're so beautiful. I was so proud of you. I was proud to have a beautiful Zanpaktou like you belong to me."

Shirayuki glared down at Rukia. "I do not belong to you."

"You're right…you're free." Rukia said softly.

"Rukia…" Ichigo blinked as Hitomi grabbed his hand and shook her head at him.

Rukia looked up at Shirayuki. "I herby set you free! So please, overcome your hatred. I am grateful for the time we spent together."

Shirayuki hovered in the air for a moment. "You're just going to live without me?"

Rukia smiled and nodded her head as Shirayuki descended to the ground. "Yes."

This time, it was Ichigo that had to hold Hitomi back as Rukia stepped slowly towards Shirayuki, muttering an incantation under her breath. "Rukia-neesan! Shirayuki!" Hitomi cried out as the two were enveloped in a swirling ball of ice.

Nothing seemed to be happening at first until the ball of ice exploded. "Rukia-neesan!" Hitomi screamed. As soon as the dust settled, both Hitomi and Ichigo rushed into the large crater where Rukia lay. "Rukia-neesan!"

Ichigo was about to take another step forward when a heavy reiatsu weighed down on them. He looked over and saw a strange man standing there with Shirayuki standing behind him. "Who the hell are you?"

Hitomi stood protectively in front of Rukia. "That's Muramasa. He's the one that's caused all this."

Ichigo glared over at him. "I've never seen you before. Are you a Shinigami?"

Muramasa smirked before shaking his head. "I'm a Zanpaktou. Shirayuki, retreat for now."

Shirayuki hesitated for a moment. She looked between Muramasa and then over at Hitomi whom was standing protectively over Rukia. Shirayuki closed her eyes when she saw how furiously Hitomi was glaring at her. "I'm sorry…" She whispered before disappearing.

"Hitomi-sama, you should really rethink which side you're on." Muramasa said softly. "Don't you want to be on the winning side?"

"Shut up!" Hitomi snapped. "I don't get you at all! You hate Shinigami so why do you want me on your side."

For a moment, Muramasa actually looked surprised. "You mean, you really don't know, Hitomi-sama?" He glared over at Ichigo as he approached him. "Tell me, Kurosaki Ichigo, what do you think Zanpaktou are?"

Ichigo stilled his movements. "What?"

"Zanpaktou are souls born from within their Shinigami's heart." Muramasa explained. "We share the same reiatsu as the Shinigami we are born from. By learning our names, you are able to become stronger by using our powers. Some, including yourself, gain even more power by beating their Zanpaktou into submission in order to obtain Bankai. We Zanpaktou don't have to live in symbiosis with our Shinigami, however. We have wills of our own. We have our own souls. Isn't that right, Hitomi-sama."

Hitomi answered by glaring at Muramasa.

Ichigo moved so Muramasa could no longer see Hitomi. "Why are the Zanpaktou listening to you?"

"It is their desire to be free from Shinigami oppression. My power allows me to call out to them and help them enter this world as a completely different entity from their Shinigami."

"I…" Rukia shakily pulled herself up onto her elbows. "I've never…looked down on Sode no Shirayuki." She almost immediately collapsed back onto the ground.

"Rukia-neesan, don't move!" Hitomi knelt beside Rukia, looking over her wounds carefully.

"You are the only one to think that since Shirayuki answered my summons." Muramasa said.

"Shut up! Just, shut up!" Hitomi shouted at Muramasa. "Rukia-neesan, stay down."

Muramasa sighed. "You're work is done, Kuchiki Rukia." At everyone's incredulous stares, he continued. "Do you honestly think you were able to escape to the Human World on your own? My goal is to free all the Zanpaktou. In order for that to happen I needed Kurosaki Ichigo to come here."

Ichigo glared at him. "If we're going to fight, let's change locations."

"Ichigo-san!" Hitomi protested.

"I'll be fine." Ichigo assured. "Hitomi, you stay here and take care of Rukia, okay? Your dad will kill me if something bad happens to you."

Muramasa glanced around Ichigo at Hitomi. "Once I'm done with this fool, I'll come back for you, Hitomi-sama." With that, the Zanpaktou and the Shinigami disappeared.

"Ichigo-san…"


	48. The Fight Continues

**rockbabyval: :)**

**Illidan the Half Demon: Yeah, I really liked the fight between Rukia and Shirayuki. It almost was like a parent letting go of their child in a strange way…I don't know…maybe I hang around children too much.**

**Sakura02: Boo, Biology! The only good thing about that class was that Michael was in it :)**

**Sayonara Yasashii Akumu: I don't know. It's the name of the villain Zanpaktou in Bleach.**

**Scarlette Shizuru: She'll get better…eventually :)**

**DoctorWhoRules: Thank you.**

**XeniaKunoichi: Ichigo's like a super hero. He always shows up just in time to save the day.**

**Demon King Sin: Thanks**

**Mizora-san: Thank you and you're welcome :)**

**Yerashi9921: Sorry for the long wait! Here's the next chapter!**

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Hitomi blinked as she heard people shouting. She looked up to see a group of shinigami running towards her and the unconscious Rukia. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there with Rukia, but she was certain Ichigo should have returned by now. She stood up abruptly and scrambled out of the crater.

"Hitomi, you need to come with us to get your wounds checked!" One of the shinigami protested.

"I'm fine." Hitomi shouted back, already running off. "You guys take care of Rukia! I'll catch up later!" She ran through the destruction of Soul Society, her eyes darting every which way to see if she could find Ichigo. "Ichigo-san, where are you?"

"Yo, Hitomi-sama. What are you doing out here all alone?" Kazeshini appeared before Hitomi, twirling his blade lazily in his hand.

Hitomi stumbled back a few steps before glaring defiantly up at the Zanpaktou. "Get out of my way, Kazeshini. I've got to find Ichigo-san."

Kazeshini cackled and roughly ruffled Hitomi's hair. "You've gotten awfully sassy. Don't worry; Muramasa is dealing with that guy. Pretty soon, we'll have another Zanpaktou comrade."

Hitomi shoved Kazeshini's hand off her head. "Get out of my way." She repeated, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.

"You'd really draw your sword against me? I'm hurt, Hitomi-sama. Really, I am." Kazeshini said with a sneer. "You're still a kid. You can't beat me or any of the other Zanpaktou."

Hitomi jutted her chin out defiantly, her hands only slightly trembling. "Please move, Kazeshini."

Kazeshini was about to retort when he suddenly perked up. He straightened up and stepped away from Hitomi. "I'll leave ya alone for now, Hitomi-sama. I've got to go deal with that fool that thought he could control me."

"Kazeshini, wai…" Hitomi held her arms up protectively in front of her face as Kazeshini disappeared in a tornado of black air. "Shuuhei-fukutaicho…" Hitomi wavered for a moment, unsure whether she should try and find Shuuhei or continue her search for Ichigo. Hesitating for only a moment longer, Hitomi resumed her search for Ichigo. "Please be okay, Shuuhei-fukutaicho…Ichigo-san…"

Hitomi was brought up short yet again after only a few minutes of her resumed search. She frowned as she had never seen the person standing in front of her before. He was very tall with a long black jacket and shades shielding his eyes from view. She could tell from his energy that he wasn't a shinigami. "Whose Zanpaktou are you?"

The man looked curiously at Hitomi. "You must be Hitomi. Ichigo has mentioned you a few times."

"You must be Zangetsu." Hitomi said cautiously, unsure if he would attack her or not. "Where's Ichigo-san?"

Zangetsu continued staring thoughtfully at Hitomi. "He's…busy right now. I don't think it would be wise for you to interfere." He watched with mild interest as Hitomi brushed past him. "Did you not hear me?"

"I heard you. I'm just ignoring you." Hitomi answered simply. When she received no answer, she looked over her shoulder to see that Zangetsu had disappeared. She frowned, but shrugged it off. She turned back around to find yet another Zanpaktou before her. This time, it was one near and dear to her heart.

"Hitomi-hime, please don't take another step." Oniyuri said softly, holding his sword out before him.

"I've got to find Ichigo-san." Hitomi said, her heart twisting painfully in her chest as she unsheathed her own sword. "Please move, Oniyuri. I don't want to fight you…"

Oniyuri hesitated for a moment. "You can't. If Muramasa catches you, you'll be in danger. I'll knock you out if that's what it takes to stop you."

"I don't understand." Hitomi whimpered out, on the verge of frustrated tears. "Why are you all doing this? What does Muramasa want with me?"

"I can't tell you!" Oniyuri shouted, clearly frustrated. "But, I won't let him take you. Why won't you just listen to me? Find somewhere to hide where Muramasa can't find you."

"I can't do that." Hitomi said. "Oniyuri, if you don't move, I'll fight you."

Oniyuri immediately crouched down into a fighting stance. "You can't beat me, Hitomi-hime."

The Zanpaktou and the little girl launched themselves at each other, their swords crossing together. A loud clang rang through the air as the two leapt away from each other.

"Tobikau, Oniyuri!" Oniyuri commanded.

Hitomi immediately leapt to the side, narrowly dodging one of the razor sharp blades of air Oniyuri sent towards her. She ducked and dodged, doing her best to avoid Oniyuri's attacks as she slowly pushed forward. She flinched as she couldn't completely dodge some of the blades, her arms and face getting cut in the process. Once she was close enough to Oniyuri, her blade swept out at Oniyuri.

Oniyuri barely managed to jump back in time. "You can't win, Hitomi-hime. You're weak. You rely on everyone around you to take care of you. You got kidnapped by Aizen and weren't even able to escape on your own. There's no way you can beat me the way you are."

Hitomi cried out as Oniyuri sent a barrage of slashes towards her. She leapt to one side to avoid the brunt of the attack, not noticing the ones rushing towards her. She gasped as her entire body was slashed. She fell to her knees, blood dripping from all her wounds. She'd never been hurt like this before. This pain was worse than when Allon had tried to crush her. She could feel her forehead burning and she cried out.

Oniyuri took a hesitant step back as the familiar light wrapped around Hitomi before he too was enveloped by the light.

Hitomi blinked as she was still sitting on the ground, but was now in her teenage body. When she looked up, there was no longer a child Oniyuri before her, but a full grown man. Hitomi couldn't help but to giggle when she saw Oniyuri still had his ears and tail, making his towering demeanor seem less imposing.. "You're so cute, Oniyuri."

Oniyuri flushed. "Shut up, Hitomi-hime!" Once again, he crouched down into a battle stance. "Are you prepared. I won't hold back."

"Neither will I." Hitomi promised.

Once again, the two lunged towards each other. Hitomi blinked as Oniyuri's eyes suddenly widened, his gaze on something over her shoulder. Hitomi turned to look behind her. She didn't see anything, but she felt Oniyuri shove her out of the way. She winced as she fell to the ground. "Oniyuri, what…" Her forehead was no longer burning and she was once again a child.

Oniyuri too had reverted to his smaller form just before he collapsed to the ground in a puddle of his own blood.

"Oniyuri, are you okay?" Hitomi whispered as she knelt beside her Zanpaktou. When she got no response, she gently shook his shoulder. "Oniyuri? Answer me, Oniyuri. Answer me!"


	49. Secrets Learned

**Sakura02: She got upset. She's kind of like the Hulk; when her emotions get the better of her, it triggers the flower thing and she grows…yeah…that sounds good XD You know Oniyuri is super adorable and cuddly!**

**Scarlette Shizuru: Oniyuri is Hitomi's Zanpaktou **

**Thanks: rockbabyval, Sakura Ichigo Morihiko, SeireiteiFantasy, yerashi9921, Illidan the Half Demon, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, MJea9Wash, Mizora-san, and Person for reviewing!**

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Hitomi whipped around frantically, looking for who could have possibly attacked them. There was no one anywhere in sight. She turned her full attention back to Oniyuri whom was bleeding profusely. "Oniyuri, please come back to me." She whispered.

Oniyuri groaned and cracked one eye open weakly. He held out a tiny clawed hand to Hitomi, gently squeezing her hand in his. "Forgive me, Hitomi-hime. I've failed as your Zanpaktou."

"Why'd you go with him?" Hitomi asked, cradling Oniyuri's head in her lap and petting his ears. "Why'd you leave me?"

"I wanted…I wanted to know what he wanted with you." Oniyuri said softly. "I could hear him calling to me. I could hear that he wanted you. I thought if I went with him, I could find out what he wanted with you and protect you. But…I've failed you."

"It's okay, Oniyuri. Please, come back to me." She repeated. "Be my Zanpaktou again."

"Of course, Hitomi-sama. What of Muramasa, though?" Oniyuri asked.

"Leave him to Ichigo-san and the others." Hitomi hissed. She smiled softly as Oniyuri returned to his Zanpaktou form. She picked him up and her smile widened at the familiar feel of Oniyuri with her. "All right, Oniyuri, let's go find Ichigo-san!"

Hitomi stood still for a moment, trying to find Ichigo's reiatsu. As soon as she located him, she was off running as fast as her legs could carry her. The areas she was running through were completely deserted and destroyed, only the lingering smoke an indicator of the vicious fights that had taken place. Hitomi felt Ichigo's presence getting closer and closer to her the faster she ran. Her eyes lit up as she saw Ichigo facing off against Muramasa. Neither was making a move to attack. "Ichigo-san!"

Ichigo didn't tear his eyes away from Muramasa as Hitomi rushed up to him. "You need leave now, Hitomi."

"You should listen to him, Hitomi-sama." Muramasa said coolly. "I would hate for you to get injured needlessly. Your hands are shaking from all that energy you exerted earlier. " He smirked then, as though he knew a secret that amused him greatly. "After all, you don't remember how to properly use your powers."

"I'm not talking to you." Hitomi stuck her tongue out at Muramasa, trying her best to not show her interest in what he had just said. "Because of you, Oniyuri got hurt. I won't forgive you for that." She blinked as Ichigo placed a rough hand on her head. "Ichigo-san?"

"Stay back." He said softly. "I'll beat this guy and then we'll figure out what the hell he's talking about, okay?" He gave Hitomi a brief smile which she returned. He charged at Muramasa then and was unsurprised when Zangetsu blocked his attack. "I thought you'd show up, Zangetsu-ossan." He jumped back just in front of Hitomi. "I'm going to fight to get you back, even if it means actually fighting you!"

Zangetsu sighed. "I want to know which of us is stronger."

Hitomi's eyes widened as Zangetsu began releasing his aura. She'd always known Zangetsu was strong, had seen him in battle, but it was different to feel the aura from a blade being wielded by a shinigami then from the Zanpaktou itself. She flinched suddenly as she heard a strange voice echoing in her head, mocking Ichigo about how he wouldn't be able to fight Zangetsu. "Ichigo-san, who is that?"

Ichigo looked down at Hitomi in surprise. "You can hear him?" His head whipped around as he heard Zangetsu's voice.

"Bankai." Zangetsu said softly. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

"Shit! Hitomi, move!" Ichigo shouted.

Hitomi cried out in surprise as Ichigo roughly shoved her off to the side. "Ichigo-san!" Hitomi screamed. She couldn't see him through the attack. She didn't know if he'd taken the hit directly or if he'd dodged. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him, fairly unharmed. "Are you okay, Ichigo-san?"

"Yeah. Just got the wind knocked out of me." Ichigo choked out as he shakily stood up. "Hitomi, I want you to stay over there and watch quietly, understand? This is my fight and I'm going to get my Zanpaktou back on my own."

"Okay…" Hitomi said quietly. She knew there wasn't much she could do at this point. Kido had never been her strong point and Oniyuri was still injured, resting in his Zanpaktou form for the moment. Hitomi leapt back suddenly as Muramasa appeared before her.

Muramasa raised an eyebrow as Oniyuri appeared, now in his normal form, still bleeding and injured. "My, what happened to you?"

Oniyuri glared up at Muramasa. "Don't…touch…Hitomi-sama…"

"Oniyuri!" Hitomi caught him as he fell, holding him tightly to her. "Don't come any closer." Hitomi hissed as Muramasa took a step forward. She was surprised when he actually listened and retreated a step back. "Leave everyone alone! Go back to wherever it is you came from!"

Muramasa sighed and leaned against one of the pillars to watch Ichigo and Zangetsu's fight. "To think that you remember nothing…that you know nothing…Surely you don't think that man is really your father."

"Stop saying stuff like that." Hitomi snapped. "I know Daddy isn't my real dad. I don't know where I came from and I don't care. Daddy and Matsumoto-mama are my family and so is everyone else in Soul Society. I won't forgive someone like you for hurting them."

Muramasa looked as though he would say more, but his eyes were drawn to where Ichigo and Zangetsu had stopped fighting to briefly speak to each other. He sighed when he heard Zangetsu say that he simply wished to see which of them was stronger, for he had nothing left to teach Ichigo. "What a fool…"

Hitomi tensed as she suddenly heard the strange voice again, whispering that it wouldn't be easy to use his powers. She blinked in surprise when she heard Ichigo answer the voice. She'd have to ask Ichigo later who it was that she kept hearing talking to him. She looked up at Muramasa. "You're the fool. While there are some Shinigami that just use their Zanpaktou for their own gain, there are others that really love their Zanpaktou. Ichigo-san…Rukia-neesan…they all really love their Zanpaktou and want to get stronger with them."

The battle between Ichigo and Zangetsu was reaching its end and Hitomi wasn't sure who would win. It looked as though Zangetsu would win as he slammed Ichigo into a large piece of rubble. "Ichigo-san, get up!" Hitomi shouted. She muttered a quick apology to Oniyuri as the poor little Zanpaktou groaned in protest. Her eyes widened as Ichigo stood up. There was something different about him. For a brief moment, it wasn't Ichigo standing there, but someone that looked like Ichigo, dressed all in white with a white face and hair. The person's eyes terrified Hitomi the most though. When she blinked, the strange man was gone and only Ichigo remained. "Ichigo-san…"

Zangetsu was equally surprised as Ichigo blocked his attack and knocked him away. "It is a waste of time to draw this fight out. Let's end this, Ichigo." He raised his sword. "Getsuga Tenshou."

Ichigo mimicked Zangetsu, a blue aura surrounding him. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

Hitomi's eyes widened as a strange face that resembled the hollow mask she had seen Ichigo wear when he had fought Grimmjow. As both Ichigo and Zangetsu's attacks fought to overpower one another, Hitomi could hear someone cackling from Ichigo's direction. "Oniyuri, hurry up and go back to your Zanpaktou form!" Hitomi shouted suddenly as she saw Ichigo's attack overpowering Zangetsu's.

Oniyuri looked uncertainly over at Muramasa. "But…"

"It's okay! Just hurry!" Oniyuri had just barely changed back when Ichigo's attack overpowered Zangetsu's, causing a large explosion. Hitomi curled up in a tight ball, clutching her Zanpaktou tightly to her. Once the attack was over, she shakily stood up to see where Zangetsu had once been standing, was Ichigo's Zanpaktou embedded in the ground. She grinned and rushed over to Ichigo and away from the shocked Muramasa. "You did it, Ichigo-san!" She shouted as she hugged him.

Ichigo grinned before turning to Muramasa. "It's your turn now."

Muramasa blinked out of his shock and smirked. "Kurosaki Ichigo, did you feel no hesitation in attacking your own Zanpaktou?"

"No." Ichigo said, having to force back a smug smirk as Muramasa's smirk fell. "Zangetsu-ossan is a part of me. I knew he would accept me and my power. Knowing that, I couldn't turn my back and cower when he wanted to fight me. That's our bond!"

"I see…" Muramasa's eyes suddenly widened and he began coughing violently.

"What's happening?" Hitomi gasped as Muramasa became transparent, as though he were fading away.

Muramasa straightened as best he could. "It seems I've wasted too much time on you. I will retreat for now. Hitomi-sama, be assured that I will come for you."

"Hey, wait!" Hitomi shouted as he began disappearing.

Muramasa glared hatefully at Ichigo. "I will remember this, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Hitomi grabbed Ichigo's hand and looked up at him with uncertainty. "What just happened?"

"I don't know…" Ichigo whispered. He gasped as Zangetsu suddenly appeared, kneeling before him. "Are you okay, Zangetsu-ossan?"

"Yes." Zangetsu said as he stood up. "I'm fine now that I'm free of his mind control." He inclined his head to Hitomi. "Forgive me if I frightened you, Hitomi-sama."

Hitomi blinked and quickly shook her head. "No…it's okay…I wasn't scared. What do you mean, mind control?"

"Muramasa awakens and Zanpaktou's instinct and uses it to manipulate us." Zangetsu explained.

"So, he's controlling everyone else?" Hitomi asked. She felt slightly relieved to know that the Zanpaktou were not acting completely on their own, though now she was more worried about them.

"Most likely." Zangetsu answered the small girl. "Ichigo, you really saved me this time."

Ichigo rubbed his head nervously. "The other me helped…" He blinked as Hitomi tugged on his hand impatiently. "Oh yeah…I never did get to explain all that to you. Later, I promise."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out. "That's what you said last time."

"What will you do now?" Zangetsu asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to go after Muramasa." Ichigo grinned when he felt Hitomi's grip on his hand tighten. "You want to help out?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Yes. I want to stop him from hurting everyone…" Her eyes suddenly widened and she began yanking Ichigo's arm. "We have to go tell everyone how to get their Zanpaktou back!"

Ichigo allowed Hitomi to yank him away. They ran through Soul Society, thankfully not encountering anymore Zanpaktou.

"Ukitake-san!" Hitomi shouted when she saw him.

Ukitake whipped around from speaking with Kyouraku. He barely had time to catch the child flying at him. "Hitomi! Are you all right?"

Hitomi hugged him tightly. "Yes! Ichigo-san and I got our Zanpaktou back!"

Ukitake and Kyouraku immediately ushered Ichigo and Hitomi into the building where they could talk. Ukitake sent a messenger to summon Unohana. Hitomi sat beside Ichigo at the table with Ukitake and Kyouraku across from them. When Unohana entered, she sat at the head of the table. Hitomi let Ichigo explain everything to the three captains. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Oniyuri. She smiled as she felt him slowly recovering.

"So, are Zanpaktou are being controlled by this Muramasa person?" Unohana asked in her soft voice.

"It's not quite that simple…" Ichigo said slowly, thinking back to when Muramasa had taken Zangetsu out of him. "It's not complete brainwashing. He simply amplifies the frustration the Zanpaktou feel daily and lures them to his side."

"The only way you can get them back is to fight them and force them to submit to your will." Hitomi piped up.

"I see…" Ukitake's face broke into a bright smile. "I'm just glad we've found a way to get them back. On a more troubling note, what exactly does Muramasa want from Hitomi?"

Hitomi shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just attract bad guys…" She shuddered, remembering her time being Aizen's prisoner.

Kyouraku grinned over at her. "Don't worry, Hitomi-chan. We won't let you get taken away again. Hitsugaya-taicho would have our heads if we did." His face fell suddenly. "It's going to take a while for everyone to find their Zanpaktou and defeat them in battle."

"Excuse us."

Hitomi perked up at the familiar voice. "Renji-chan!" She rushed over and hugged the shinigami.

"Jeez, Hitomi-sama, just ignore us why don't you."

Hitomi peered around Renji, her grin growing. "Saru! Hebi!"

Saru grinned and scooped Hitomi up, nuzzling her cheek against Hitomi's. "I'm so sorry if we upset you, Hitomi-sama. Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm okay." Hitomi grinned as Hebi came over and took her away from Saru. "Oniyuri protected me." She blinked as Oniyuri reappeared. His wound looked a lot better and he was able to stand without looking like he may pass out at any moment. The two shared a brief smile with each other.

Ukitake cleared his throat. "So, what Muramasa said is true; you can speak to all the Zanpaktou. Why didn't you ever tell anyone, Hitomi?"

"They told me not to." Hitomi answered simply as Hebi finally put her down and allowed her to go back to her seat. Oniyuri was close behind her and stood patiently at her side while Hebi whined about being hungry and tired.

"I see…" Ukitake looked thoughtful for a moment.

"So, not to be rude, why did you summon us?" Renji asked.

"Oh, we wanted to see if since you had regained control of your Zanpaktou, they had told you anything." Ukitake answered.

Renji rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "They don't really remember anything. Hitomi, what about your Zanpaktou?"

Hitomi looked at Oniyuri who shook his head negatively. "Nope." She blinked as Renji was suddenly arguing with Saru and Hebi, as the two Zanpaktou called him a moron. Hitomi giggled when Renji began chasing the whining Hebi around the room. "You guys are silly."

Hebi dashed across the table and leapt off just as Renji slid after him. Renji wound up landing right in front of Unohana who smiled eerily down at him, causing him to become very nervous.

Unohana continued smiling. "My, he is a lively one. But, Abarai-fukutaicho, this is the 4th squad barracks and you simply mustn't run around like a child."

Hitomi shifted nervously even though the smile wasn't directed her way. "Poor Renji-chan…" Hitomi clenched the fabric of her pants tightly as she thought back to the last time she had seen Hyorinmaru. Usually when she would see the Zanpaktou, he'd smile at her and hold her hand. The last time she'd seen him, though, he hadn't recognized her. She blinked as she felt a hand on her head.

Ichigo grinned down at the little girl. "It's going to be okay. We'll get them all back."

Hitomi smiled back and nodded. She looked over at Unohana. "May we please go see Rukia-neesan?"

Unohana smiled. "Of course." She instructed Hitomi and Ichigo to where Rukia was resting before standing up, officially ending the meeting.

Hitomi held Ichigo's hand as they made their way to Rukia's room. "Rukia-neesan!" Hitomi rushed over as soon as they reached the room. She gave a quick bow to Isane whom was sitting beside Rukia's bed before turning her full attention to the injured Kuchiki. "Are you okay, Rukia-neesan?"

"I'll be okay." Rukia said softly, smiling at Hitomi and then Ichigo.

Isane sighed. "You really overdid it. I don't want you leaving this bed for a while. You need to rest up."

"Yes, Kotetsu-fukutaicho." Rukia turned her attention back to Ichigo and Hitomi. "I'm sorry, Ichigo…Hitomi."

"Why'd you come back by yourself?" Ichigo asked, no trace of anger in his voice. "I told you that Byakuya wouldn't die that easily.

"I know that!" Rukia snapped. "It's just that…I have a bad feeling about all this."

Hitomi nodded her head. She put on her brightest smile for Rukia. "Don't worry, Rukia-neesan. We'll find Byakuya. Right, Ichigo-san?"

"Right." Ichigo said, grinning as well.

"Thank you." Rukia said softly.

"There you are." Ikkaku walked into the room, his usual smirk on his face as he walked over to Ichigo. "I heard you and Hitomi got your Zanpaktou back. How'd you do it?"

* * *

"Ichigo-san, I don't think you should do that." Hitomi protested as Ichigo kicked a slab of wall and sent it flying directly into Omaeda. "You didn't even hit the Zanpaktou…" Hitomi sighed as she went through the hole Ichigo created, followed closely by Ichigo and Ikkaku. She had spent the past couple of hours following Ichigo and Ikkaku around as Ichigo explained to Ikkaku how to get ones Zanpaktou back. She smiled nervously at the two large Zanpaktou. "Hi, Gegetsuburi, Hozukimaru."

"Yo, Hitomi-sama." Hozukimaru grinned at the tiny girl. "You finally ready to join us."

"Nah, she's not going anywhere." Ikkaku ruffled Hitomi's hair. "I didn't think we'd actually run into Zanpaktou here. This is perfect. I can show off my training now."

Hitomi yelped as Ikkaku shoved her roughly away and into Ichigo as Hozukimaru charged at him. "That was rude, Ikkaku!"

Ichigo looked dubiously between Gegetsuburi and Hozukimaru. "Hitomi, you've been seeing these guys since you were a baby?"

"Yup." Hitomi rolled her eyes as Ikkaku and Hozukimaru did the 'lucky dance'. "I know everyone's Zanpaktou."

"And you didn't have nightmares from these guys randomly popping up?" Ichigo asked.

Hitomi actually laughed as Gegetsuburi tired to sneak up behind Ichigo and attack him. She held on tightly to Ichigo as he grabbed Hitomi and leapt up onto a nearby roof. "Nah. They might look scary but they're really nice. Just like their masters." She scrambled out of the way as Gegetsuburi once again launched another attack.

"Hitomi, you stay here." Ichigo ordered. "I'll deal with this guy."

Hitomi sighed as Ichigo disappeared along with Gegetsuburi. She leapt down from the roof and walked over to the nearby steps to wait for Ichigo and Ikkaku to finish their fights. She couldn't see either of them fighting, but she could hear them. She blinked as Ichigo suddenly reappeared, his Zanpaktou drawn. "Did you win?"

"Not yet." Ichigo whipped around and shot an attack at Gegetsuburi, effectively knocking the Zanpaktou out. "Now I won."

Hitomi was about to applaud him when something suddenly flew by them and slammed into the steps Hitomi was sitting on. "Ikkaku!" She shouted, crawling over to the fallen Shinigami's side. "Are you okay, Ikkaku?" She glared over at Hozukimaru as he stepped through the hole in the wall. Hitomi drew her own Zanpaktou and stood protectively in front of Ikkaku along with Ichigo.

"Hitomi, Ichigo, move." Ikkaku groaned out. Shakily, he stood up and stumbled towards Hozukimaru. "This is my fight; don't interfere."

Hitomi was about to protest when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked up at Ichigo who shook his head negatively at her. "Ikkaku…"

Just as the two were once again about to begin fighting, Soi Fon, Ukitake, and Kyouraku appeared. "That's enough!" Soi Fon shouted as her squad surrounded Hozukimaru.

Hozukimaru sighed. "This isn't fun anymore. We're done for today."

"What?" Ikkaku shouted.

Hitomi grabbed onto Ichigo as Hozukimaru began spinning his sword around furiously. She closed her eyes tightly as Hozukimaru released a large amount of energy. When she opened them again, Hozukimaru was gone and the 2nd squad was searching frantically for him. "Hozukimaru…" She blinked as Ichigo grabbed her hand. "Ichigo-san?"

"Let's follow him." Ichigo said before chasing after Hozukimaru with Hitomi quickly following after him.

The two chased Hozukimaru down a deserted alleyway. When it looked as though they would catch up to him, Hitomi noticed sakura blossoms floating towards them. She flinched as one cut her cheek and her eyes widened in realization of what was happening. "Senbonzakura!" Quickly, Hitomi unsheathed her Zanpaktou, slashing at the sakura blossoms that attacked her and Ichigo.

It was Ichigo using his Bankai that made the sakura blossoms disappear. "Hitomi, was that…?"

Hitomi nodded, looking up at the sky. "That was Senbonzakura, Byakuya's…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed the figure standing on the roof just above them. "Byakuya!" She shouted as the figure suddenly disappeared.

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo muttered.


	50. Hyorinmaru

**Sakura02: Lol, thanks. Now I picture Hitomi with Ash's hat catching pokemon…**

**BANEHiwatari: Nope, Hitomi isn't Koga's kid :)**

**Mizora-san: I'm not sure if I'll do some things from Hitsugaya's point of view, but we'll see :)**

**Thanks: SeireiteiFantasy, rockbabyval, kitsunelover300, Scarlette Shizuru, Illidan the Half Demon, xx1ofAKindxx, Saiyuri Haruno, yerashi9921, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, and nerd4ever243 for reviewing!**

* * *

"Ichigo-san, do you really think Byakuya went this way?" Hitomi ran as fast as her legs could carry her in order to keep up with Ichigo's quick pace.

Ichigo's pace didn't slow at all as he answered. "I'm not sure. It doesn't hurt to look, does it?" He came to a screeching halt as Hitomi tripped and fell flat on her face. He knelt in front of her. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

Hitomi nodded slowly, rubbing her nose in embarrassment. She blinked as Ichigo's hand was suddenly in front of her face. Without thinking, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her to her feet. When they began running again, Ichigo kept a firm grip on Hitomi's hand. "Ichigo-san, do you really think it was Byakuya that had Senbonzakura attack us?"

"Who knows." Ichigo said softly as they left the buildings behind them and ran into a small forest. "We're going to find out, though."

"Ichigo-san!" Hitomi cried out as Ichigo was roughly yanked away from her by a pink sash with a bell attached to it wrapping around his neck. "Leave him alone, Tobiume!"

Tobiume smiled. "Good evening, Hitomi-sama."

"Hey, you ditched me!" Haineko shouted indignantly. She perked up when she noticed the little girl beside Ichigo. "Hi, Hitomi-sama! You shouldn't be out with a guy like that. It's dangerous for you."

Hitomi and Ichigo both drew their Zanpaktou at the same time. "Who are they?" Ichigo hissed.

"The short one is Tobiume, Momo's Zanpaktou. The other is Haineko. She's Matsumoto-mama's Zanpaktou." Hitomi answered, watching the two wearily as they split up to stand on either side of them. While Ichigo focused on Tobiume, Hitomi focused on Haineko. She sighed as the two began arguing over who had dibs on Ichigo. "They're always arguing about stupid stuff."

Ichigo was about to respond when Haineko sent a swirl of ash out to surround them. "Hitomi, stay close."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out indignantly. "I can take care of myself. Tobikau Oniyuri!" Hitomi shouted, sending gust after gust of wind about to dispel Haineko's attack. She grinned, rather pleased with herself.

"Sorry. You're smaller than my little sisters so I forget sometimes…" Ichigo said, casually resting his Zanpaktou on his shoulder.

"You have sisters?" Hitomi asked. Now that she thought about, she didn't know much about Ichigo's normal life.

"Yeah." Ichigo grinned and ruffled Hitomi's hair. "When we wrap all this up, maybe you can come back with me and meet them. You'd like Yuzu and Karin."

"Aw." Haineko cooed. "Not only does he have a big sword, he's great with kids."

Hitomi blinked as Tobiume hissed at Haineko for talking inappropriately and the red on Ichigo's face. "What's wrong with her saying you have a big sword?"

"Don't worry about it!" Ichigo shouted a little too loudly. He sighed as Haineko and Tobiume began arguing. "We don't have time for this."

Hitomi yelped as Ichigo scooped her up under his arm and began running away. She peered over her shoulder and saw Haineko and Tobiume chasing them. "Run faster, Ichigo-san!"

Ichigo didn't have time to retort as Haineko and Tobiume both began attacking. He finally had to come to a stop as Haineko appeared in front of him and Tobiume cut off his escape from behind. "Hitomi, stay close." He said as he lowered to the ground and pointed his Zanpaktou at Haineko.

Hitomi nodded, pointing Oniyuri towards Tobiume.

"Stop this right now!"

"Matsumoto-mama, Momo!" Hitomi shouted when the two suddenly appeared in a tree beside them. She'd never been so relieved to see Momo in her life. "Tobiume and Haineko are fighting again and they're mixing Ichigo-san up in it!"

Matsumoto and Momo both flash stepped to the ground, both facing their Zanpaktou. "Ichigo, let us handle this. You and Hitomi get out of here."

"We have to be the ones to fight them." Momo added.

"Be careful, Matsumoto-mama." Hitomi said, giving Matsumoto a quick hug.

Matsumoto smiled and hugged Hitomi tightly. "Aw, my sweet little baby! Don't worry. Matsumoto-mama will fix this mess up right away!"

Hitomi smiled at Matsumoto and gave Momo a quick nod before chasing off after Ichigo.

Ichigo glanced down at the little girl once again running beside him. "You sure you don't want to stay with them?"

"Nah. Matsumoto-mama and Momo can handle those two." Hitomi grinned. The two hadn't been running for very long when Hitomi sensed a familiar reiatsu close by. She stopped running, not caring to see if Ichigo had stopped or not. "It can't be…"

"Oi, Hitomi, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked, having sensed the reiatsu as well. "Do you know whose reiatsu it is?" He stared curiously at Hitomi as she walked passed him before breaking out into a run. "Hitomi!"

Hitomi ran towards the reiatsu. She had to see that it was him. She had to see if he remembered her now. She stopped on top of a giant rock pillar, only to find a valley of similar rocks below her. Her eyes scanned about frantically, trying to pinpoint exactly where his reiatsu was.

"Hitomi, watch out!" Ichigo barely managed to pull Hitomi to another rock pillar before two spikes of ice appeared and stabbed the air where the little girl had just been moments before. "What are you doing? Don't run off like that!"

Before Hitomi could answer, three ice dragons were suddenly flying at the two of them. Hitomi and Ichigo both managed to dodge, landing on rock pillars beside each other. Hitomi's eyes widened when she saw the Zanpaktou controlling the ice dragons. "Hyōrinmaru!"

Hyōrinmaru stared blankly up at Hitomi, before turning his gaze to Ichigo. "I assume you are Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo noticed Hitomi's shoulders slump, but he said nothing to her. "Yeah. Who are you?"

"You seem quite strong." Hyōrinmaru answered, ignoring Ichigo's question. "Muramasa said not to fight you. I wonder why…"

"Stop it." Hitomi said, distress clear on her face.

Hyōrinmaru finally turned his complete attention to Hitomi. "You should leave this place, Hitomi-sama."

Hitomi perked up. "You remember me?"

"Muramasa says you are important to our mission. That is all I need to know about you." Hyōrinmaru answered. He once again turned his attention to Ichigo.

Hitomi sat on her knees, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. How could the Zanpaktou she loved above all the others (minus her own) not remember her. The first memory of any of the Zanpaktou she had was of him standing over her crib and smiling down at her lovingly. He had always been the first to respond to her cries of distress and the first to scold her for anything particularly reckless she did. "Why…Ichigo-san!" She shouted in alarm as Ichigo was suddenly encased in a pillar of ice.

"Bankai!" Ichigo destroyed the ice around him easily enough.

Hyōrinmaru's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that sword you're holding a Zanpaktou?"

"Yeah." Ichigo answered. "You okay, Hitomi?"

Hitomi nodded slowly. "Yes. Are you?"

"What is that Zanpaktou's name?" Hyōrinmaru asked before Ichigo could answer Hitomi's question.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What's it to you?"

Hitomi was surprised when Hyōrinmaru lowered his head sadly. Cautiously, she slid down the rock and landed a few feet away from him. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

Hyōrinmaru stared at Hitomi for a moment before turning to leave. "If you are not my master I have no business with you."

"Aren't you going to try and capture me and take me to Muramasa?" Hitomi blurted out.

"No. I don't wish to." Hyōrinmaru frowned, as though the thought were rather strange to him.

"Wait, so you don't remember who you belong to?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

"I don't remember my master's name nor my own." Hyōrinmaru answered. "Farewell."

Hitomi gasped as Ichigo was suddenly trapped by pillars of ices spinning around him. She looked at Hyōrinmaru's retreating back. Memories of all the times she'd spent with Hyōrinmaru swirled through her head. Despite him being an ice Zanpaktou, he'd always been one of the warmest and most loving of all the Zanpaktou towards Hitomi, much like Hitsugaya was towards her. The tears came back as she thought of how scared he must feel, not knowing who he was or who he belonged to. Without thinking, she shouted, her voice mixing with another familiar voice. "You're Hyōrinmaru!" She looked up and smiled. "Daddy!"

Hitsugaya didn't flinch as he landed on the ground a few feet from Hyōrinmaru and was promptly hugged by Hitomi. He placed a hand on Hitomi's head, his eyes never moving from Hyōrinmaru's. "You are Hyōrinmaru and I am your master, Hitsugaya Toshiro."

Hyōrinmaru actually chuckled, surprising both Hitomi and Hitsugaya. "There is no way a child such as you could be my master."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out angrily. "Don't talk to Daddy like that!"

Hitsugaya ignored Hitomi completely. "Have you really forgotten me?"

"Did you really think I would believe you, Child?" Hyōrinmaru asked coldly.

"But, Daddy is telling the truth, Hyōrinmaru." Hitomi protested. She blinked as the hand Hitsugaya had placed on her hand slipped away. "Daddy?"

"What did that freak Muramasa do?" Hitsugaya hissed.

Hyōrinmaru shrugged. "It has nothing to do with him. I merely lost my memories when I was released from my master. Right now, I am working under Muramasa, but my true goal is to find my master. My powers are vast and only a truly powerful Shinigami could possibly be my master, not a child such as yourself."

"My powers may still be immature, but I am your master!" Hitsugaya protested.

"If you continue to insist you are my master, then you must prove it." Hyōrinmaru said.

"Hitomi, get out of the way, now." Hitsugaya hissed.

Hitomi didn't need to be told twice. She had seen Hyōrinmaru in action before and she knew she didn't want to get caught in the fight. She leapt a few yards away to one of the rock pillars to watch. "Please be careful…" She whispered. She sat and watched as Hyōrinmaru attacked Hitsugaya, never once moving from his spot. She watched as every attack Hitsugaya shot at Hyōrinmaru was easily deflected. "Daddy!" She cried out as Hyōrinmaru froze Hitsugaya with an ice dragon.

Hitsugaya managed to break free, though he had clearly taken some damage. "Don't move, Hitomi. This is my fight and you are not to interfere."

Hitomi moved back into her sitting position. She had been ready to leap down there and protect Hitsugaya at all cost, even though she wasn't sure if she'd truly be able to fight Hyōrinmaru. She closed her eyes and listened to Hitsugaya and Hyōrinmaru talking about what it was that Hyōrinmaru wanted.

"I believe I desire a place where I belong." Hyōrinmaru answered finally.

"Daddy?" Hitomi looked worriedly at Hitsugaya when she saw the pained look on his face. She wondered what memory was causing him to hurt so much.

A look of determination suddenly crossed Hitsugaya's face and he lifted his sword high. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru!"

Hyōrinmaru was rather surprised when an ice dragon identical to the one he had just attacked Hitsugaya with appeared. "He can use my powers?"

"You have to remember, Hyōrinmaru!" Hitomi shouted, unsure whether the Zanpaktou could even hear her. "You have to remember Daddy!" Hitomi cried out as Hitsugaya launched his attack against Hyōrinmaru. For a moment, she couldn't see anything through all the dust and flying ice. "Daddy! Hyōrinmaru!" Hitomi cried as she saw the giant ice flower where the two had once been.

A bright light started at the center of the ice flower and quickly worked its way throughout the ice before a bright beam of light shot up into the sky, breaking away the dark clouds that had been hanging there moments ago.

Hitomi had to shield her eyes from the bright light. Once the light disappeared, Hyōrinmaru was there in his dragon form, Hitsugaya floating before him. "Daddy! Hyōrinmaru!" She cried, stumbling off the rock and rushing towards them as Hyōrinmaru reverted to his humanoid form and glided down from the sky with an unconscious Hitsugaya in his arms. "Daddy!"

Hyōrinmaru glanced up as Hitomi ran over. He crouched down, stilling holding Hitsugaya. "Hitomi, I'm sorry."

Hitomi shook her head, hugging Hyōrinmaru tightly after having made sure Hitsugaya was all right. "I was scared you two were going to really hurt each other. Please don't ever do that again!"

Hyōrinmaru managed a small smile and hugged Hitomi to him with his free arm. "I won't. I swear it."


	51. Byakuya

**erica. phoenix. 16: I think the only reason Hitsugaya and Matsumoto allow Hitomi out of their sight is because she's with Ichigo who is one of the strongest people there. Sorry if that isn't adequate :(**

**Sakura02: As long as Xanxus leaves me alone, I'm cool. **

**Sakura Ichigo Morihiko: Episode 263 will be included :)**

**Thanks: yerashi9921, rockbabyval, starred, SeireiteiFantasy, Saiyuri Haruno, KaKashiisWifey, nerd4ever243, Aino-Reikishi, xx1ofAKindxx, Kh530, Mizora-san, TG, and Sayonara Yasashii Akumu for your reviews!**

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* * *

"You sure you didn't want to stay with him?" Ichigo asked Hitomi quietly. The two were once again running on the dirt path through the forest, the moon still hanging high in the air. It had seemed like hours ago since evening had fallen, but not much time had really passed.

Hitomi glanced once over her shoulder back the way they had just come from. She gave a small smile and turned back forward. "No, it's okay. Hyōrinmaru will take good care of Daddy. Besides, I want to find Byakuya too."

Ichigo nodded and the two continued running on in silence. There was a cool breeze blowing through the forest, making the leaves stir and sway as though they had a life of their own. Hitomi would've thought it was peaceful if she didn't know of the potential danger lurking in the darkness. When they came to a fork in the road, Ichigo and Hitomi hesitated, not able to sense any reiatsu from either direction. Shrugging it off, Ichigo let out a growl of frustration and ran down the left path with Hitomi close behind him.

They hadn't been running for more than a few minutes when the path they were running on intersected with another. There was what looked like the remnants of a small stone shrine just ahead of them at the far corner where the two paths met. Hitomi skidded to a halt as Ichigo suddenly crashed into someone very familiar to the little girl. "Matsumoto-mama!"

Matsumoto grinned up at Hitomi from her new spot sitting atop Ichigo who looked less than pleased. "Are you okay, Hitomi?"

Hitomi nodded her head rapidly as Ichigo disentangled himself from Matsumoto. "Daddy got Hyōrinmaru back so he's resting right now." She and Ichigo quickly explained all that had happened since they'd parted from Momo and Matsumoto. Hitomi looked between Momo and Matsumoto. "What about Haineko and Tobiume? Did you get them back?"

Matsumoto sighed, scowling in clear irritation of the whole subject. "Those two have got to be the loudest, most obnoxious women I've ever met. They've been capture and are currently en route to the 4th division barracks."

Hitomi was about to speak when a sudden change in the wind made her stop. The wind grew heavier, a feeling of dark energy pressing around them. None of the others seemed to notice the change, however, until a giant rip appeared on the wall of the shrine beside them and Muramasa collapsed to his knees out of the dark hole, coughing violently. "What are you doing here?" Hitomi hissed. She was taken aback as Ichigo calmly placed an arm out in front of her to stop her from attacking.

Ichigo looked at Muramasa with cool eyes as he saw the group standing just a few feet from him for the first time. "Hey, we meet again I see."

Muramasa stood calmly to his feet, quickly composing himself from his obvious moment of weakness. "I knew you'd be here." Muramasa said calmly. "It seems you and I are deeply connected by fate somehow."

"You're so full of it." Hitomi snarled, putting her hand on the sheath of her Zanpaktou in almost perfect unison with Matsumoto and Momo. Again, she was stopped by Ichigo placing a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Fate?" Ichigo asked, clear doubt and irritation creeping onto his face.

Muramasa smiled calmly. "Yes, I believe you will be a great asset in helping me to reach my goals. Surely you must sense it too? All the excess energy you have is becoming pent up and has nowhere to go."

Hitomi frowned, looking cautiously between Muramasa and Ichigo. "So, you're going to molest the power out of him or something?" She yelped as Ichigo whapped her upside the head. "What was that for, Ichigo-san?"

"Stop saying weird stuff like that!" Ichigo snapped back. "You shouldn't even think about stuff like that at your age!"

Muramasa watched the exchange with curious eyes. "You too, Hitomi-sama. I'm in need of your assistance as well."

"No thanks." Hitomi snapped. "I've already been kidnapped once by a creeper. I have no plans of it happening again."

Ichigo sighed and regained his composure. Calmly, he drew Zangetsu. "The only thing tying us together is the fact that I'm going to be the one to defeat you."

Hitomi looked at Ichigo silhouetted against the moonlight with his Zanpaktou drawn and his fighting scowl on his face. She had never seen someone besides Hitsugaya look so amazing as Ichigo did now to her. She squeaked as she felt someone pulling on her cheeks. "That hurts, Matsumoto-mama!"

Matsumoto grinned and continued pulling on Hitomi's cheeks. "I didn't think I'd have to worry about you looking at boys until you were older. Wait till I tell taicho about this."

"Please don't tell Daddy." Hitomi pleaded, looking up at Matsumoto with round eyes. "I don't want him to try to kill Ichigo like he does Shuuhei-fukutaicho all the time."

Matsumoto was about to say something more when Muramasa began coughing violently. She straightened up, frowning. She'd noticed it earlier when Muramasa first appeared; his reiatsu wasn't stable. She looked and saw that Momo, Hitomi, and Ichigo had noticed it as well. Before she could say anything to the others, Muramasa held up a hand and a strange wave of wind brushed against all of them. Matsumoto went to pull out her sword and was shocked when she couldn't move. "What's going on?"

Hitomi tried to force her hands down to her Zanpaktou, but found that she could barely get them an inch before they were forced back into their original position. She'd be damned if she let this creep hurt her Matsumoto or Ichigo or even Momo and she wasn't going to let him take her without a fight. She fought against the strange paralysis with all her strength and then…Muramasa once again began coughing violently and the paralysis disappeared. Hitomi yelped as she fell on her bottom. "What's wrong with him?" She asked, a quiver of fear in her voice at the sight of blood running down Muramasa's eyes like tears.

Ichigo didn't know, nor did he particularly care to wait for Muramasa to recover to find out. He charged at the collapsed enemy, Zangetsu raised high above his head to deal the killing blow. His attacked was thwarted by a sword suddenly appearing and blocking his attack.

"No way…" Hitomi said softly when she saw who it was wielding the sword. "What are you doing defending that guy?" She shouted angrily at the Zanpaktou.

Ichigo leapt back so he was once again beside Hitomi. Never did his eyes stray from the enemy and he kept his sword out in front of him, ready to fight. "Who is that and who does he belong to, Hitomi?"

"Let him figure it out for himself, Hitomi-sama." The Zanpaktou said softly. He held the sword up in front of him. "Scatter…"

Ichigo's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what was going on. "It's Byakuya's!"

"Hitomi, Hinamori, get down!" Matsumoto shouted as waves of cherry blossoms surged forward. She grabbed both girls and held them tightly, ready to shield them with her own body. Though she did take the initial brunt of the attack, Ichigo managed to stop Senbonzakura's attack before any serious damage could be done.

"Matsumoto-mama, are you okay?" Hitomi asked worriedly. When she got no response, she looked to Momo with pleading eyes. "What should we do?"

"Let's get out of the way." Momo said quietly, slinging one of Matsumoto's arms over her shoulder and half dragging the woman to the other side of the road, Hitomi close on her heels.

While Momo went further into the wooded area and safety, Hitomi lingered at the edge of the road, watching Senbonzakura and Ichigo fighting. She could see Muramasa just standing there, watching the fight as well. If she could just get to him, she could surely take him out in his weakened state. The only problem was, every time she set a foot onto the road to charge at him, a wave of cherry blossoms suddenly roared up in front of her, ready to attack her should she attempt an attack. She glared over at Muramasa as he briefly turned his attention from the fight at hand over to her. Hitomi tore her eyes away from Muramasa as Ichigo was suddenly enveloped in a sphere of what at first looked like rapidly spinning cherry blossoms, but were in fact thousands of tiny blades. "Ichigo-san!"

Hitomi wasn't sure whether to be relieved or afraid when she saw Ichigo was all right, his hollow mask once more covering his face. "Senbonzakura, you've got to stop protecting Muramasa! You've got to come home."

Senbonzakura shook his head at the little girl, his face hidden behind his usual mask. "You do not understand the suffering we Zanpaktou have endured. We will defeat the shinigami." He turned his attention back to Ichigo who was still standing there, his Zanpaktou clenched tightly in his hands. "Why do you hesitate? I will not hesitate to kill you."

"I'm not hesitating." Ichigo said quietly. "Hitomi, get back with Matsumoto and Hinamori." Was all he said before charging at Senbonzakura.

When the two clashed, there was a flash of blinding blue light and Hitomi had to shield her eyes from it. In the confusion, she tried to sense who it was that had won, whose reiatsu was the strongest. When she could finally see again, she was relieved to see that both Ichigo and Senbonzakura were fairly unharmed. What surprised her most was when a piece of Senbonzakura's mask cracked off, revealing a part of his face before he quickly covered it with his hand. Now that Hitomi thought about it, she'd never seen him without his mask on before.

The entire group fell into a shocked silence as Ichigo and Senbonzakura prepared to once again clash when a hand shot out and stopped Senbonzakura. Hitomi was the first to shake herself from her shock. "Byakuya! You're okay!" She was about to run forward to give him a hug when something at the back of her mind screamed at her to stop. She hesitated and looked at Byakuya with curious eyes. He had been missing since the initial Zanpaktou rebellion. Why hadn't he come back? Why hadn't he gone to at least let Rukia know he was okay?

"Stand back, Kurosaki." Byakuya said coolly as Senbonzakura lowered his sword. His face was a mask, showing no emotions or thoughts whatsoever.

Ichigo blinked and lowered his sword. "Are you going to fight him now?" Ichigo had no time to defend himself as Byakuya sent a kido attack at him. He was relatively unharmed, though the attack had knocked him a few feet back.

"What are you doing, Byakuya?" Hitomi cried out, rushing forward to make sure Ichigo was okay. She looked at Byakuya, searching his face for answers that weren't there. She bit her lip as she thought of all the times Byakuya had let her hide out in his office when she was in trouble and all the times he'd shared his tea with her. "Why, Byakuya?"

Byakuya looked at her, no emotions even flickering through his eyes. "I cannot allow any of you to attack this man." He said in his usual cold voice.

"Does Muramasa have you under a spell too?" Hitomi asked, desperately clinging to the hope that this wasn't really Byakuya's true desire to protect Muramasa. "Did Senbonzakura make you submit to his will?"

Byakuya actually scoffed and allowed a self-confident smirk to grace his face. "You know me better than that, Hitomi. I am doing this of my own free will. I, just like the Zanpaktou, am obeying my own inner desires."

"What desires do you have that would make you side with that…that…that creep over there?" Hitomi shouted, anger and hurt tingeing her voice. This was far worse to her than when Aizen, Gin, and Tousen had betrayed the group. She'd never really liked Gin nor trusted Aizen. Tousen had been her captain and she'd liked him well enough, but she'd never been particularly close to him. Byakuya was different though. She was close to him. He was almost like an older brother to her, though she'd never told him that. For him to betray Soul Society, to betray Rukia, to betray her…it was too much for her to process.

Byakuya's eyes were once again cold and uncaring as he looked at the tears rolling down Hitomi's cheeks. "My desire is to protect my pride. That's all." He drew his sword then and pointed it at Ichigo. "Kurosaki Ichigo, do not attack this man from now on. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill you." With that, he, Senbonzakura, and Muramasa disappeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms.

* * *

"Hitomi, you need to get some sleep." Matsumoto said gently, putting the flowers she had brought in a vase beside Hitsugaya's sleeping form. Once they had gotten back, they'd found that Hitsugaya had been taken to the 4th barracks to recover from his fight with Hyōrinmaru. Hitomi had stayed by his bedside for the remainder of the night and well into the morning.

Hitomi shook her head stubbornly. She was resting on her knees beside the bed, one arm crossed under her head and the other holding Hitsugaya's hand. Dark circles were under her eyes and she had to force them to stay open. "I want to be awake when Daddy wakes up. I want to make sure he's really okay…You need to rest too, Matsumoto-mama, Momo." She said softly, glancing over at Momo who was sitting beside Hitsugaya's bed in a chair.

"I don't want to leave you alone…" Matsumoto said, kneeling beside Hitomi and pulling the small girl into a hug, though she couldn't break Hitomi's stubborn hold on Hitsugaya's hand. She stroked Hitomi's hair and hummed softly, hoping to make the little girl fall asleep.

"I'll stay with her and Master." Hyōrinmaru said as he suddenly appeared in the room. He gave Hitomi a small smile when the little girl looked up at him with bleary eyes. "I won't allow any harm to befall either of them."

Matsumoto hesitated before finally conceding and ushering Momo out of the room as well. "We've got to talk to Ukitake-taicho and the others. We'll come back and check on you later."

Hyōrinmaru took the chair that Momo had been occupying only moments before. He looked down at Hitomi to say something and saw that she was already sound asleep, her hand still clinging to Hitsugaya's. Gently, Hyōrinmaru picked Hitomi up and tucked her under the covers with Hitsugaya. He smiled as Hitomi immediately sought out Hitsugaya's warmth and snuggled into the youngest captain's side. "Sleep well, Master, Hitomi."


	52. Bloody Woman

**I apologize for my random disappearance! I was working on my original novel and when I'm writing it, I have to focus everything on it. I've currently completed draft 3 of 6 and I'm very excited :) Thank you all for your patience and understanding!**

**Sakura02: Lol, hopefully Hitomi is used to the cold otherwise she might catch one :)**

**BANEHiwatari: I did actually have her almost go over and hug Byakuya, but I decided against it. With Muramasa, I debate on and off about whether or not she should comfort him since it is so in her nature. At the same time, though, he's causing a lot of strife in her life.**

**erica. phoenix .16: Yes, she learned the foul language from our own dear Grimmjow. Also, yes, Hitsugaya's Headache will continue on until Tite Kubo ends it, so Hitomi will be meeting Genjou and Tsukishima. I'm actually very excited to write that arc :)**

**Mizora-san: I'm doing the entire Zanpaktou arc so yes :)**

**Thanks: SeireiteiFantasy, Wheelchairmaniac99, Vesperian Blue Cross, starred, Saiyuri Haruno, Tailsdoll123, nerd4ever243, ChiyoChi-Yamamoto, AnimeCrazed121, KaKashiisWifey, rockbabyval, and Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl for reviewing.**

* * *

"Yamamoto-taicho!" Hitomi gasped. She wasn't sure where she was. It was dark and the sound of water hitting stone was all she could hear. A few feet away, Yamamoto appeared to be sleeping in some type of shield. She ran towards him, but didn't seem to get any closer to him. "Yamamoto-taicho, where are you?"

"Hitomi…Hitomi…" A soft feminine voice called from somewhere off to Hitomi's right.

Hitomi stopped running and looked over where the voice was coming from, only to find what looked like glass steps spiraling so far up that Hitomi couldn't see the end. She looked back over and was surprised to see that Yamamoto was no longer there. Seeing nowhere else that she could go, Hitomi began climbing the stairs.

She climbed and climbed for what felt like forever. It seemed like she would never reach the top and she was growing tired with each step she took. She paused as the woman's voice grew louder. She was getting closer. She ran up the last few steps and finally, she reached the top.

A woman was standing with her back to Hitomi. She was wearing an elegant kimono with all different shades of blue. The woman had long blue hair that fell to her waist. The woman glanced over her shoulder, a smile ghosting over her face, her bangs hiding her eyes.

Something about the woman made Hitomi want to run back down the stairs and into the darkness. When she looked behind her, though, the stairs had disappeared. She looked back at the woman nervously. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The woman chuckled. "You don't remember me, do you? Well, I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. You've locked me away so deeply in your heart."

The woman turned around all Hitomi saw was blood. Blood covered the woman's face and the once beautiful blue kimono was stained red. Hitomi screamed and scrambled back. She was suddenly falling through darkness. There was nothing around her, save for the sounds of her own screams.

"Hitomi, wake up!" Hyōrinmaru was hovering over the little girl as she slowly woke up with tears in her eyes. "Are you all right, Hitomi?"

Hitomi looked frantically around for the woman. It took her a moment to realize it had been nothing but a dream. Hitomi took a deep, shuddering breath in to calm herself. She tried to forget the woman and to forget the blood. After a moment, she heard loud explosions from outside. "What's going on out there?"

"It seems a large group of Zanpaktou are fighting the Shinigami." Hyōrinmaru answered. "Hitomi, you need to stay here. It's too dangerous out there." Hyōrinmaru said as Hitomi hopped out of the bed.

Hitomi strapped her Zanpaktou to her waist and smoothed her hair out. "I'll be fine. You stay here with Daddy and make sure nothing happens to him. I'll be right back!" Hitomi rushed down the hallway and out of the 4th division barracks. She was shocked by all the destruction and fighting going on and was rather surprised that she'd somehow managed to sleep through it all.

"Blue!" Yachiru shrieked excitedly and latched onto Hitomi. "I've missed you, Blue! Did you miss me?"

"Yachiru, where have you been?" Hitomi gasped out, hugging her friend back briefly before finally disentangling herself from Yachiru.

"Me and Ken-chan got lost." Yachiru laughed loudly.

Hitomi looked at her blankly. "You mean you gave him wrong directions again? Where is Kenpachi anyways?"

Yachiru looked around and seemed to notice for the first time that Kenpachi wasn't around. "Oh, he must've gone on ahead to fight. You know how much he likes fighting."

Hitomi winced as a loud explosion came from just a few yards away. She and Yachiru looked at each other. Yachiru grinned while Hitomi simply sighed. "C'mon, Yachiru. Let's go make sure Kenpachi doesn't do any unnecessary killing."

Yachiru pouted as Hitomi grabbed her hand and tugged her off in the direction of the explosion. "You're no fun, Blue."

Hitomi rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. She hoped that Kenpachi didn't destroy any of the Zanpaktou. She was so wrapped up in her mission to get to Kenpachi and the others, that she completely forgot about the bloody woman in her dreams.


	53. Kenpachi's Fight

**Sakura02: It's impossible to stop Kenpachi from doing stupid things. It's in his nature.**

**Saiyuri Haruno: You'll have to keep reading to find out :)**

**ImJustNutty: Haha, I hadn't even thought of that until I read your review. Sorry for the confusion.**

**erica. phoenix .16: I can't tell you who her parents are yet, silly. That would spoil the fun.**

**Winged Wolfie Chibi: I believe I will be doing the episode with Zabimaru and Senbonzakura. I can't answer your other two questions yet :)**

**Thanks: Tailsdoll123, KaKashiisWifey, starred, AnimeCrazed121, LoveIsThePainInside, SeireiteiFantasy, rockbabyval, Mizora-san, and EternalLoveHitsuHina for reviewing!**

* * *

"Ichigo-san!"

Ichigo grunted and briefly tore his eyes away from the approaching Kenpachi to look down at the little child attached to his waist. "Hitomi, what are you doing here? It's really dangerous. You and Yachiru need to leave now."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out as she looked around at the battlefield before her. Renji and his Zanpaktou were laying on the ground while Byakuya stood over him and Rukia stood frozen a few feet away. Kira seemed to have fallen from the roof of one the destroyed buildings and was currently looking at Kenpachi in shock. Soi Fon simply looked annoyed while the other Zanpaktou watched Kenpachi wearily. "What took you so long to get here, Kenpachi?"

"Shut up, brat." Kenpachi said lightly, though there was no real malice behind his words. "I got here before you did."

Soi Fon crossed her arms in irritation. "What was with that dramatic entrance? Look at all the destruction you caused."

Kenpachi merely shrugged, obviously not bothered in the slightest. "Who cares if I destroy a couple of buildings? Now, who am I going to fight…" His answer was given to him as Wabisuke leapt down and attempted to strike him.

"Wabisuke, don't…" Hitomi flinched as Wabisuke's blade struck Kenpachi on the shoulder and caused absolutely no damage. She almost felt sorry for him as he looked rather shocked at the lack of damage his attack had caused. She gasped as Kenpachi drew his own sword and sliced Wabisuke, destroying the Zanpaktou. "Why'd you do that, Kenpachi?"

"I thought I told you to shut up." Kenpachi shouted over to Hitomi, grinning as the little girl practically snarled at him. "That's the face you should have in front of your enemies."

"Where have you been hiding this entire time?" One of the Zanpaktou hissed. It took Hitomi a moment to realize it was the fukutaicho of the 1st division's Zanpaktou. She'd never spoken to him much as he was always standing in a corner.

Hitomi glanced wearily over at Kenpachi and sighed when she saw how irritated he was. "This isn't going to end well."

"I don't like what you're implying." Kenpachi hissed at the Zanpaktou. He didn't even blink as Yachiru climbed onto his shoulder.

"I'll explain!" Yachiru crowed happily. "Ken-chan and I were out fighting Hollows near Rukongai! As soon as we heard what was going on, we rushed to get back. We got lost though, and that's why we're so late!"

"You got Kenpachi lost again, Yachiru." Hitomi said, giggling when Yachiru puffed her cheeks out angrily.

Yachiru pouted over at her giggling friend. "You're so mean to me, Blue! Maybe I'll just let those Zanpaktou kidnap you."

"Please no." Hitomi gasped out dramatically. "I really don't want to be kidnapped again."

"Would you two knock it off?" Kenpachi snapped, though there was slightly less malice than what he used to speak to others. "Yachiru, you don't need to be telling people that story.

Yachiru's pout increased tenfold. "It's the truth, though! You even walked right by a candy shop we found!"

Kenpachi sighed. "I said I'd take you back later!"

Ichigo looked down at Hitomi, a look of shock on his face. "Are they seriously always like this?"

Hitomi sighed and nodded. "Yup. Pretty much." She blinked as Yachiru was suddenly beside her and holding her hand.

"Ken-chan is about to cut loose!" Yachiru sang excitedly before bounding further away to safety.

Hitomi scooted further behind Ichigo as Senbonzakura attacked Kenpachi. She knew it wasn't going to end well. She couldn't help shuddering as Kenpachi removed his eye patch and let his reiatsu flow freely. No matter how many times she felt it, Kenpachi's reiatsu always completely overwhelmed her. She cried out as he suddenly increased his reiatsu as he attacked Senbonzakura.

Ichigo crouched down and hugged Hitomi close to him, shielding Hitomi's body with his own. He heard her scream as they were flung away from Kenpachi and the others. As they flew away, Ichigo kept his grip on Hitomi, never allowing any flying debris to hurt her. When they finally stopped, he released Hitomi and stood up. "Are you okay, Hitomi?"

Hitomi nodded shakily, feeling at her side to confirm that Oniyuri was still at her side. "I think so. What about you?"

Ichigo was about to answer, but frowned when he realized they were not alone.

Senbonzakura stood a few feet away from them, completely unscathed from being blown away. He stared at Ichigo and Hitomi. "I will not allow anyone else to stand in Byakuya's way."

"Then, maybe you should go stop Kenpachi." Hitomi piped up. She blinked as Ichigo started to move in front of her. "No way! I'm going to fight too!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Ichigo snapped, having already drawn Zangetsu. He rolled his eyes as Hitomi completely ignored him and charged at Senbonzakura. He followed quickly behind her, lunging at Senbonzakura as said Zanpaktou blocked Hitomi's attack. He scooped Hitomi up under his arm while blocking Senbonzakura's sword. He managed to fling Senbonzakura away. "Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Hitomi shouted as Ichigo began running away from the stunned Senbonzakura.

"We're going back to where Kenpachi and Byakuya are!" Ichigo answered. He froze as a giant wall of purple fog greeted his sight. "What is that?" He put Hitomi down just as Byakuya appeared in front of them and Senbonzakura charged at them from behind.

"Ichigo-san!" Hitomi cried out as Senbonzakura attacked the unsuspecting substitute shinigami and sent him flying into the purple fog. Hitomi took a hesitant step back as Byakuya was suddenly standing in front of her. She didn't bother unsheathing Oniyuri. She knew she was no match against Byakuya or Senbonzakura, let alone the two of them combined.

"Shall we take her with us?" Senbonzakura asked, grabbing Hitomi roughly by her shoulder.

Byakuya stared down at Hitomi for a moment. Despite the fear in her eyes, she was snarling at him like a caged tiger. He closed his eyes and sighed. "No. Leave her."

"But…Muramasa said…" Senbonzakura released Hitomi after Byakuya shot him a look.

Hitomi opened and closed her mouth a few times as Byakuya and Senbonzakura disappeared. She quickly shook it off and turned her attention back to the purple fog. "Hang on, Ichigo-san! I'll save you!" She was about to rush in when the fog suddenly disappeared. She blinked in confusion before she saw the strange Zanpaktou flying towards Ichigo. "Jizo!"

The Zanpaktou stared blankly at Hitomi before turning its attention to the unconscious Ichigo. It ignored Hitomi screaming furiously at it to leave Ichigo alone and simply continued slapping him in the face.

"Oh! He looks fun! Can I play with him, Blue?" Yachiru asked from beside Jizo.

Jizo squeaked and flew away. Hitomi's eyes simply followed Jizo as she tried to escaping the hysterically laughing Yachiru. Hitomi rolled her eyes when Kenpachi appeared and grabbed Jizo. She ran over to Ichigo's side and gently shook him. "Are you okay, Ichigo-san?" She looked up in surprise when she heard an explosion. She looked over her shoulder only to see a broken Zanpaktou at Kenpachi's feet. She glared over at Mayuri as he strode forward. "You didn't have to do that!"

Mayuri waved his hand dismissively. "It's my Zanpaktou. I'll do with it what I like."

Ichigo groaned as he slowly came to. "Hitomi? Are you okay? What happened? They didn't take you?"

Hitomi quickly shook her head. "Byakuya told Senbonzakura no. Don't move so much, Ichigo-san. You got poisoned really bad." She looked up as a shadow fell over them only to find Mayuri hovering above them.

"Poisoned, eh?" Mayuri said, an excited gleam in his eye.

"Noooo!" Ichigo screamed as he quickly tried to scramble away. He didn't get very far as Mayuri grabbed him by the back of his robe. "Let me go!"

"What are you going on about?" Mayuri said coolly. "You've been badly poisoned, just like Hitomi said. If I don't heal you soon, it'll be too late for you."

"Help me, Hitomi!" Ichigo shouted out pleadingly.

Hitomi took a few steps back as Ichigo reached out for her. She smiled apologetically at him as Mayuri pulled a shot out from his robe. "Sorry, Ichigo-san. I would help you, but I don't want Mayuri-san to get mad at me. He's really scary, you know?" Hitomi blinked as Ichigo managed to get away briefly before Nemu grabbed him and held him to the ground. "Please don't hurt him too badly."

Ichigo looked pleadingly over at Hitomi, and then over to Kenpachi and Yachiru who were sitting a few feet away. "None of you are going to help me? Why didn't the poison affect Yachiru and Kenpachi?"

"I think I may be able to explain that." Kyouraku said as he appeared with Ukitake at his side. He smiled as Hitomi bounded over and hugged Ukitake tightly. "Sorry we're so late."

Unohana walked up as well with a team of healers behind her. "Thank you for taking care of everyone, Kurotsuchi-taicho. We will take over from here. We came up with an antidote from healing Isane and the others that were poisoned."

Hitomi shuddered as the two captains stared each other down. She really didn't know which one she found more terrifying. She rushed back over to Ichigo's side. "I'm so glad you didn't get modified, Ichigo-san."

"You could've tried to help!" Ichigo shouted. He placed a hand on her head and roughly ruffled her hair. "I'm glad that they didn't take you away. Toshiro would've killed me if anything happened to you."

Renji sat up from beside Rukia. " There were others?" Renji asked.

Hitomi noticed for the first time that Renji and Rukia were there as well. She'd been so focused on Ichigo, she hadn't seen them. She was relieved to see they were both all right. "Who else got poisoned?"

Unohana smiled as she began tending to Ichigo. "Isane, Hinamori, Iba, and Matsumoto."

"Is Matsumoto-mama okay?" Hitomi asked, worry flooding her face. As soon as Ichigo sat up, she latched onto his side.

Unohana smiled and nodded. "They'll be fine as long as they rest for a while. All four of them our currently receiving treatment in the 4th division barracks."

"Thank goodness." Hitomi breathed out. She flinched as the morning sun finally came up. She rubbed her eyes and when she opened them again, Yorichi and Soi Fon were there.

"I'm going to go find Kuchiki so we can finish our fight." Kenpachi declared as he stood up.

"You won't be able to find him by just wandering around aimlessly." Yorichi said patiently.

Kenpachi strode over to her. "Do you know where he is?"

"Nope." Yorichi said calmly. "But, I did find the Captain-Commander." She couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk on her face at everyone's looks of shock. "Wanna see?"


	54. Rescue Mission

**Sakura02: I'd be afraid to see Ichigo modified…**

**erica. phoenix16: Sorry, I can't answer any of your questions right now. You'll have to keep reading to find out!**

**Thank you: rockbabyval, SeireiteiFantasy, Winged Wolfie Chibi, Musa Silver-Hawk, starred, Mizora-san, and Sayuri Haruno for reviewing!**

* * *

"I really wish you hadn't come with us, Hitomi. He wants you for something and you coming with us could be playing right into his hands." Ukitake sighed out at the little girl that stood stubbornly beside Ichigo. He had done his best to convince Hitomi to stay behind, as had Ichigo, but the little girl refused to be swayed in her decision. It hadn't helped that both Kenpachi and Yorichi had encouraged her and the fact that Kyouraku had stood by and done nothing.

Hitomi looked up at Ukitake with a bright smile. "I'll be careful. I promise." Hitomi stared hard into the mouth of the large cave before them. The sound of the wind blowing through the trees barely registered in Hitomi's mind. For the first time in a long time, Hitomi thought about Grimmjow and the other Espada. She wondered if Grimmjow was still alive somewhere in the desert. She also worried about what Aizen could possibly be doing while they were dealing with this. He had allowed them to leave for reasons that Hitomi couldn't quite understand.

"That's definitely Genryuusai-sensei's reiatsu." Ukitake said quietly, breaking Hitomi away from her thoughts. "I also sense a very powerful barrier down there."

Hitomi immediately thought back to her dream where she had seen Yamamoto trapped behind a shield. "Does that mean Muramasa couldn't control Ryuujin Jakka?"

Kyouraku nodded his head slowly. "We're lucky we don't have to face off against Ryuujin Jakka. I don't think that would end well for any of us."

Kenpachi snorted and rolled his eyes. "The old man is in the back of that cave, right?"

"More than likely, yes." Yorichi piped up. "We must be careful, though. This cave is set up like a maze. There is another entrance as well which I believe the Zanpaktou have been using."

Ichigo glanced down at Hitomi. "Please don't run off anywhere. The last thing I need is Toshiro waking up and finding your gone. He'll blame me and kill me, I just know it."

"You're so dramatic, Ichigo-san." Hitomi sighed out. "So, we just need to be real careful going in there, right?"

"Forget that." Kenpachi snarled out. "I say we just barge right in!"

Hitomi rolled her eyes as Kenpachi and Yachiru disappeared into the darkness of the cave. "Be careful." Hitomi piped up as Kyouraku and Ukitake walked into the cave as well. She gave a small smile as Ukitake gave her a final wave. "Are we following them?"

"No." Yorichi said and spun on her heels. "We'll be using the other entrance. Let's go, Ichigo, Hitomi."

"Right." Ichigo immediately grabbed Hitomi's hand and followed after Yorichi. "Please stay close to me."

Hitomi nodded. "I will." She promised when she realized Ichigo wasn't looking at her. Hitomi closed her eyes just before they entered the cave. When she opened them, she was able to see a little in the darkness, though not much. She obediently kept close to Ichigo until her eyes had fully adjusted to the darkness. Once she could see more clearly, she saw the water beneath them and was finally able to see the stalagmites they were leaping on as they made their way through the cave.

"Do you think Byakuya is here, Yorichi-san?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

Yorichi's eyes cut away from Hitomi who was a few paces ahead of them and over to Ichigo. "Is he bothering you that badly?"

Hitomi glanced over her shoulder as Ichigo nodded. She chewed thoughtfully on her lip as she thought about the sixth division captain. He had betrayed not only Renji, but Rukia, his little sister. She understood how Ichigo was feeling. She couldn't figure out why Byakuya would betray them all like that. It just wasn't like him.

"I don't know." Yorichi answered abruptly.

Hitomi blinked when Ichigo suddenly lost his footing and fell into the water. "That looks fun." She giggled and jumped in after Ichigo, happily splashing around in the water and ignoring Ichigo's shouts of protest when she splashed him.

Yorichi rolled her eyes. "Getting worked up about it won't bring Byakuya back." She said to Ichigo. "Hitomi, get out…"

"Yorichi-san!" Hitomi and Ichigo shouted at the same time when Yorichi was suddenly tied up by a long sash with a bell on the end. "Haineko, Tobiume, don't!" Hitomi cried out as the two Zanpaktou stabbed Yorichi. She quickly realized her fears were unfounded as Yorichi was no longer there.

Yorichi sighed in annoyance and knocked Haineko into a wall before grabbing Tobiume by the front of her kimono. "My goodness, you girls are rather weak." She glanced down into the water where Ichigo and Hitomi still were. "Ichigo, take Hitomi with you and go on ahead. Saving Yamamoto-taicho takes number one priority. You can do as you please afterwards."

Hitomi yelped as Ichigo suddenly grabbed her and leapt out of the water. "Hey! I can run on my own!" She protested as Ichigo ran on down through the cave. She sighed as he simply ran faster. "Seriously, Ichigo-san, I can run all by myself. I'm a big girl, you know."

"I can feel his reiatsu just up ahead." Ichigo said as he finally put Hitomi down and grabbed her hand.

Hitomi frowned when a Zanpaktou suddenly appeared in front of them. "Ichigo-san…" She stood back as Ichigo charged at the Zanpaktou, only for the Zanpaktou to disappear and then reappear further down the tunnel. "Ichigo-san, something's wrong." She sighed as he didn't listen to her and simply kept charging at the Zanpaktou. She ran after Ichigo as he continued to follow after the Zanpaktou.

She nearly tripped when Ichigo suddenly stopped right in front of her. She fell on her bottom to prevent herself from running into Ichigo. She was about to yell at him when she noticed they had come to a dead end, the Zanpaktou nowhere in sight. "What now?"

Ichigo looked around until a bright light coming from a crevice in the cave ceiling caught his eye. "That's his reiatsu, isn't it?"

Hitomi nodded slowly. "Let's go." She quickly followed after Ichigo as he leapt towards the reiatsu. It took her a moment to realize that Ichigo was no longer at her side. She quickly landed on one of the tall pillars and looked down as Ichigo fell with Kazeshini clinging to him. "Ichigo-san!"

"Hitomi, keep going!" Ichigo shouted out.

Hitomi hesitated for only a moment before continuing towards the blinding light. She jumped up into the small room and found Yamamoto sitting inside the same barrier she had seen in her dreams. "Yamamoto-taicho…" Just as she was about to take a step towards him, Muramasa suddenly appeared in front of her. Immediately, she drew her Zanpaktou and snarled at him. "Get out of my way."

Muramasa raised an eyebrow and sighed. "I don't have time to play with you, Hitomi-sama. Now, be a good girl and go to sleep." His hand was a blur as he lunged towards Hitomi.

It took Hitomi a moment to process the fact that she had been cut and another moment to realize she was now bleeding. She dropped Oniyuri to the ground as her vision began to tunnel. The last coherent thought she had before she blacked out was; _not again._


	55. 55

**Argh! I swear I'm getting back on track with updating, everyone! Things have been so crazy with my little sister moving out of the house (so sad!), me getting a new car (amazing!), and getting ready for school. **

**Tailsdoll123: She will interact with them later on in the arc.**

**Masked Bard of Chaos: I promise I will put a scene of teenage Hitomi with Hitsugaya. I'm sorry last chapter was so anti-climatic. I hope this chapter will be more enjoyable for you!**

**Sakura02: Ukitake fighting his Zanpaktou is going on at the same time as what I'm writing right now.**

**Mizora-san: Hitomi is physically around the age of 6 or 7. I'm not sure exactly how that would translate in shinigami years. She is the 14th seat on the 9th Squad. I would say she probably mainly focuses on speed over power due to her petite size. No worries about the questions. I love when you guys ask me questions! :)**

**erica. phoneix16: Sorry about that! Hitomi is somewhere around the age of 6 or 7. Lol, no Aizen hasn't wanted to marry Hitomi since she was a baby. She came into his plans later on. I'll go into more detail about that later. I've been watching the Zanpaktou arc on Adult Swim! :)**

**Thanks: SeireiteiFantasy, starred, AnimeCrazed121, rockbabyval, erica. phoenix16, Shepard Cousland, Rio, Noble Korhedron, kenshin's new friend, and TalonNight for reviewing!**

* * *

Oniyuri awoke to find that Hitomi was no longer with him. He sat up and looked around, immediately recognizing Ichigo, Yorichi, Kyouraku, Ukitake, and Yamamoto. "Ichigo-san, what happened? Where's Hitomi-sama?"

Ichigo looked guiltily over at the little Zanpaktou. "Muramasa got her and I sort of let him get away with her and the old man's Zanpaktou." He motioned to the encircling wall of flames that kept them all trapped and unable to pursue Muramasa.

Oniyuri would've started yelling angrily at Ichigo if it weren't for the fact that the flames were now shooting at all of them. He dodged and rolled out of the way to avoid being hit. "We've got to save Hitomi-sama! Can't we just jump over the flames?"

"I'll try." Ichigo leapt up into the air. It looked as though he would make it. Suddenly, two streams of flame came together and knocked Ichigo back to the ground. "So much for that plan."

Kyouraku sighed irritably. "Getting out of here isn't going to be easy…"

Oniyuri's large ears drooped sadly. He began ringing his hands worriedly and pacing around beside Ichigo. "Hitomi-sama…" He blinked when he felt a hand land gently on his shoulder. He looked up and sniffled. "Yorichi-san?"

Yorichi smiled at the distraught Zanpaktou. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine. Do you know why Muramasa would take her?"

Oniyuri shook his head slowly. "No. I tried to find out, but I don't think he ever really trusted me. If he hurts Hitomi-sama, I'll never be able to forgive myself! I'm supposed to protect her!"

Yorichi patted him on the head and reassured him again before turning to Yamamoto. "Do you know where Muramasa is heading?"

Yamamoto nodded slowly. "He is heading for Karakura Town. It has exactly what he is looking for. If he's looking for what I believe he is, I know what he needs Hitomi for as well."

* * *

Hitomi regained consciousness just in time to see Byakuya and Senbonzakura disappear. She looked down and was surprised to not see Soul Society beneath her. "Where are we?"

Muramasa glanced down at the little girl in his arms. He placed her beside him, but kept a firm grip on her wrist. "We are in Karakura Town. Do not try and escape me."

"Yeah, yeah." Hitomi muttered, rolling her eyes. "I know the drill. What are we doing here? What do you want me to do."

Muramasa was silent for a moment. He was about to answer Hitomi when he was suddenly racked by violent coughing.

Hitomi's eyes widened in panic. On instinct more than anything, Hitomi reached out and touched Muramasa's arm. "Are you okay?" She was startled to see that he was beginning to fade away right before her eyes. "You should stop this. What could be so important that it's worth dying over?"

Muramasa straightened up and roughly shoved Hitomi's hand aside. "A child like you would not understand. You will do as I say, when I say. If you try and fight me, I will make sure that your family suffers in ways you cannot fathom."

* * *

"Ichigo-san, watch out!" Oniyuri shouted to the substitute shinigami. He flinched when the spiral of fire hit the spot where Ichigo would have been standing had it not been for Yorichi's quick actions. He tilted his head curiously when he saw the fire had made a rather large hole in the ground. "Could we get out through there?"

"It's worth a try." Yorichi launched herself at the hole and made it even deeper. "You guys watch my back. I'll keep going until I find a way to get us out."

Ichigo and the others remained hovering near the edge of the gaping hole, ready to fend off any attack that would try and stop Yorichi. They were surprised when fire suddenly shot up from the hole Yorichi was in. "Yorichi-san!" Ichigo shouted.

Oniyuri knelt worriedly beside the now sealed off hole. "Are you okay, Yorichi-san?"

"I'm fine!" Yorichi's muffled voice came from underground. If she was going to say anything else, it was cut off by yet another attack.

"What should we do?" Oniyuri asked no one in particular.

Ukitake thought for a moment. "Perhaps we could cut through the flames."

Kyouraku shrugged and unsheathed his sword. "It's worth a try. Better than just sitting here and getting fried."

Oniyuri joined the others in trying to make a hole in the wall of flames. While their attacks would make a very brief opening, it was never large enough for any of them to slip through and it was quickly sealed off. "This isn't working at all!"

Yamamoto sighed and stepped forward. "If I'm given enough time, I can regain control of my Zanpaktou, though it won't be easy. Unfortunately, time is not on our side. If we don't hurry and stop Muramasa, he'll break the seal."

Ichigo frowned. "What seal? What the hell is Muramasa trying to do in Karakura Town?"

"Muramasa is trying to revive his master, Kouga." Yamamoto said after a beat. "Muramasa forces himself into a Shinigami's inner world and bends the Zanpaktou to his will. That is his power. His master, Kouga revolted against the Seireitei. Muramasa took control of the other Zanpaktou and made them not only abandon their masters, but attack them as well. Soul Society was in complete turmoil. Great sacrifices were made, but we were finally able to seal Kouga away."

Ichigo frowned. "Muramasa said that he killed his master!"

"He lied." Yamamoto said calmly. "Kouga lives on within the seal. It is a dark part of our history that has been sealed away and not spoken of since."

"What did Muramasa gain by entering your soul?" Ukitake asked Yamamoto.

"I was the only one who knew how to completely awaken Kouga." Yamamoto answered. "There is a possibility that Karakura Town will be destroyed if Muramasa rejoins with Kouga."

Oniyuri frowned impatiently. "That still doesn't tell us why he took Hitomi-sama! What does he need her for?"

Yamamoto was quiet again for a moment. "He needs her to remove part of the seal. Only someone from her bloodline can remove a part of the seal."

* * *

Hitomi remained silent as Muramasa flew through the air, searching for something. Every now and then, Hitomi would try and ask Muramasa a question, but he would always shoot her a glare.

Muramasa finally landed in a foggy forest. He kept Hitomi close to him and stepped forward. "He's here."

"Who?" Hitomi asked, looking around curiously. She didn't see anyone nor sense any other presences around them.

"My master." Muramasa said shortly.

Hitomi looked over at the small island of trees floating in the middle of the foggy lake. "Your master is an island?" She flinched and instinctively tried to move away when Muramasa shot her an angry glare.

Muramasa kept a firm grip on Hitomi's wrist and moved towards the island. He whipped around suddenly when he felt a presence. "Who's there?"

"Orihime-neesan!" Hitomi gasped out when the teenager stepped from behind the trees. "You've got to get out of here!"

Orihime looked at Muramasa with curious eyes. "Who are you? What are you doing here with Hitomi-chan?" Her eyes widened at the sight of the sword that appeared suddenly in Muramasa's hand.

"Leave Orihime-neesan alone!" Hitomi shouted angrily. She went to kick Muramasa, but he quickly paralyzed her. Hitomi could only watch helplessly as Muramasa paralyzed Orihime as well. Just as quickly as she had been paralyzed, Hitomi was able to move. She looked over just in time to see Muramasa collapse to the ground. "Orihime-neesan!" She ran over and hugged the human girl tightly.

"Hitomi-chan, who is he?" Orihime asked, holding the distraught little girl close. "Why were you with him?"

Hitomi quickly explained everything to Orihime. "What are you doing?" Hitomi asked incredulously when Orihime began healing Muramasa.

"You're worried about him, aren't you, Hitomi-chan?" Orihime said quietly. She motioned for Hitomi to come sit beside her while she continued to heal Muramasa. "Do you think he's a bad person."

Hitomi glared at the unconscious Muramasa. "Yes. He hurt my family and everyone in Soul Society."

Orihime gave Hitomi a small smile that the little girl didn't see. "He's hurting too, though. You've sensed it, haven't you? That's why you looked so worried when he collapsed."

"Yes." Hitomi answered reluctantly. She looked back down only to find Muramasa was awake and looking at them both. "You should just stop, Muramasa. Ichigo-san and the others won't let you get away with this."

"No." Muramasa hissed out. He broke free of Orihime's healing shield and sat up, his aura flaring furiously up. He reached out and grabbed Hitomi before shunpoing over to the edge of the lake, all before a barrage of arrows struck the place he had just been.

"Chad-san, Ishida-san!" Hitomi shouted excitedly upon seeing the other two humans. She winced when Muramasa's claws dug painfully into her wrist.

"Let her go." Ishida said coolly, his bow pointed directly at Muramasa.

Muramasa scowled over at the three humans. This was not at all how he had planned it.

* * *

"Ready, Oniyuri?" Ichigo asked, watching intently as Kyouraku and Ukitake made a large 'x' in the flames.

Oniyuri nodded and crouched down. He lunged for along with Ichigo and sliced at the flames, making a wide hole in the center of the 'x'. Both he and Ichigo rushed forward to try and get out, but the flames quickly closed back in and flung them to the ground.

"Are you two okay?" Ukitake asked worriedly.

"Yes." Oniyuri mumbled, pawing at the singed tip of his ears. "We were so close!"

Ichigo straightened back up. "It'll be my fault if Muramasa succeeds. I'm going to try again." He pulled his Hollow mask on and leapt back into the air to try and go over.

"Ichigo-san!" Oniyuri shouted when Ichigo was suddenly incased in a cage of fire. Flames lunged forward to finish off the stubborn substitute and Oniyuri couldn't bear to watch. He looked up when he heard a familiar voice and the brief feeling of a cold wind hit him. His eyes widened in excitement when he saw Ichigo, fairly unharmed, and Hitsugaya descended along with Hyōrinmaru. He ran over to the dragon Zanpaktou excitedly. "Hyōrinmaru-nichan!"

Hyōrinmaru looked down at the little Zanpaktou and patted his head. "Are you okay, Oniyuri?"

Hitsugaya looked around suspiciously. "Where's Hitomi?"

Oniyuri lowered his ears and whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Hitsugaya-san. It's my fault! I didn't protect her from Muramasa."

"No." Ichigo protested. "It's mine. I let him get away with her. I could've stopped him."

"He has Hitomi?" Hitsugaya snarled furiously. He had just gotten her back from Aizen and now some other lunatic had snatched her away. He was getting a leash for her as soon as he got her back.

"Calm down, Hitsugaya-taicho." Ukitake said. "He won't hurt her. Have your injuries healed enough for you to be here?"

Hitsugaya waved a dismissive hand. "Never mind me. Are these flames what I think they are?"

Oniyuri nodded his head rapidly, remaining at Hyōrinmaru's side. "It's Ryujin Jakka. Muramasa trapped us here and he's taken Hitomi-sama with him to Karakura Town."

"What?" Hitsugaya hissed.

"He plans to revive his master." Ichigo said, his face once again showing all the guilt he felt for not having stopped Muramasa.

"We must focus on getting Kurosaki Ichigo out of here." Yamamoto said, bringing everyone's attention back to him. He looked over at the shocked look on Ichigo's face. "If you feel responsible for this disaster, go stop Muramasa yourself."

"All right." Ichigo finally said, his confident smirk finally reappearing. He looked down when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Take me with you." Oniyuri pleaded. "I've got to go and help Hitomi-sama out."

Hitsugaya glanced over at his Zanpaktou. He watched Hyōrinmaru pat Oniyuri's head approvingly. "Let's help them out. As soon as Hitomi gets back here, she's grounded for the next century."

Oniyuri watched with excited eyes as Hyōrinmaru turned into an ice dragon and flew up into the air. Hyōrinmaru froze any fire that dared to try and trap him and then completely froze the entire ring of fire. Hitsugaya struck a large whole into the frozen wall and looked back over at Ichigo. "Now, Ichigo!"

"Let's go, Oniyuri." Ichigo scooped the tiny Zanpaktou under one arm and pulled his Hollow mask on with the other. He leapt up into the air and rushed through the hole that Hitsugaya had made. Flames were started to melt away the ice that trapped them. Ichigo and Oniyuri made it out just as the flames completely destroyed the ice.

"They'll be okay, right?" Oniyuri asked worriedly. He didn't want Hyōrinmaru or Hitsugaya to be hurt. That would upset Hitomi more than anything else.

"Yes." Ichigo reassured. "Let's go stop Muramasa and get Hitomi back."

* * *

"I can't believe you got captured again." Ishida grouched at Hitomi who was glaring at him.

"Shut up!" Hitomi shouted, ignoring the pain in her wrist from Muramasa's grip. "It's not like I hold a sign up that says 'please kidnap me'!"

"You may as well." Ishida quipped back. He turned his attention to Orihime. "Are you okay, Inoue-san?"

Orihime nodded her head quickly. "I'm fine!"

Ishida glared suspiciously at Muramasa. "Your reiatsu is different from that of a Shinigami or an Arrancar. What are you?"

"He's a Zanpaktou!" Hitomi managed to shout out before Muramasa yanked her roughly behind him. She glared at his back and tried to burn a hole through him.

Muramasa ignored the angry girl and focused instead on Ishida and Chad. "Are you friends of the Shinigami?" He drew his sword and lunged towards Chad and Ishida before either could answer.

Orihime rushed over to Hitomi and held the little girl close to her side. "Are you okay, Hitomi-chan?"

Hitomi nodded absently and rubbed her wrist. "I'm really sick of getting manhandled. If Oniyuri was here, I'd smack Muramasa upside the head with him. I'm not very good at kido attacks…" She admitted sheepishly. Hitomi watched Ishida and Chad fight with excited eyes. She'd never really gotten to see them in action before. "They're awesome. I want to be strong like them when I grow up. I don't want to always have to get saved by others."

Just when it looked as though Ishida and Chad would win, a pillar of cherry blossoms blocked Ishida's attack from reaching Muramasa. Hitomi flinched and clung tighter to Orihime's side. "Oh no."

Senbonzakura stood protectively in front of Muramasa. "Let me handle this." He said.

Hitomi watched angrily as Senbonzakura went to fight Ishida and Muramasa dealt with Chad. "Leave him alone!" She shouted when Chad suddenly collapsed. Hitomi did a quick Kido spell that she hoped would work, but it seemed to simply irritate Muramasa more than anything. He disappeared for a brief moment, before reappearing at Hitomi's side.

"I don't have time for these games." He hissed, grabbing Hitomi by her wrist again and yanking her away from the shocked Orihime.

"Help Chad-san and Ishida-san!" Hitomi said quickly to Orihime when she saw the conflicted look in the teenage girl's eyes. She gave her a small smile. "I'll be fine. He won't hurt me." I hope, she thought silently to herself. She glanced up at Senbonzakura when the Zanpaktou appeared at Muramasa's side.

Orihime allowed herself to feel a bit of relief when she saw Ishida was fairly unharmed. She turned her attention back to Muramasa. "Why are you doing this? Please, let Hitomi-chan go. She's just a little girl. I saw it in your eyes earlier; you have a terrible sadness deep within yourself. Hitomi-chan saw it too. That's probably why she hasn't fought much against you."

Hitomi avoided meeting Muramasa's eyes when he looked down at her. Truth be told, she had had quite a few opportunities to slip away from Muramasa and hide until the others could deal with him. Even if she had had Oniyuri with her, she didn't think she would've used it on Muramasa. She didn't know why that was. He had hurt so many of her precious people, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt him in the same way.

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" Orihime repeated with more conviction in her voice.

Muramasa tore his eyes from Hitomi's pouting form and glared over at Orihime. "Don't talk as though you know anything about me." He hissed. "What could you or this brat understand about me. I am Muramasa and I have the power to change the world."

Hitomi tried to pull away when Muramasa unleashed his aura. She looked up when she heard a familiar voice shouting a Kido attack. "Rukia-neesan!" She was so excited to see the Shinigami, she didn't even care that Muramasa had easily deflected the attack away.

Rukia landed beside Orihime. "Are you guys okay?"

Hitomi nodded her head while the others voiced their affirmations. "Chad-san is hurt pretty bad, though." Her eyes widened suddenly. "Rukia-neesan, have you heard from Ichigo-san or the others?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo is more than likely already burned alive by Ryujin Jakka's hellfire." Muramasa stated coolly. "Along with your Zanpaktou."

"Oniyuri…" Hitomi bit her lip worriedly.

"Don't listen to him, Hitomi-chan!" Orihime shouted confidently. "Kurosaki-kun will definitely be okay!"

Muramasa glared over at her and once again unleashed his aura. Hitomi watched in horror as multiple Hollows suddenly appeared, standing between them and Orihime and the others. "How can a Zanpaktou do that?" Hitomi asked incredulously.

Muramasa ignored Hitomi and quickly shunpoed to the little island, leaving the others to fight the Hollows and Senbonzakura.

Hitomi struggled weakly against his grip. "You've got to stop this, Muramasa! One person isn't important enough to hurt this many people!"

Muramasa looked coldly down at her. "If it was your father, you wouldn't do the same?"

Hitomi didn't have a comeback for that. She allowed Muramasa to drag her to the small cluster of trees at the center of the little island. "Is this where he is?"

Muramasa grabbed Hitomi's hand and roughly pricked the tip of her forefinger. He pushed Hitomi towards the tree. "Break the part of your seal that your family created."

"My family?" Hitomi blinked, unsure of what he meant. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do it now!" Muramasa shouted furiously.

Hitomi flinched and quickly turned to the tree. She really had no idea what he wanted her to do. On instinct more than anything, Hitomi reached out and touched the tree. She could feel the reiatsu trapped within it. Without thinking, she traced her bloody finger in the shape of an amaryllis on the tree's trunk. She stepped back hesitantly when the bloody amaryllis glowed blue before disappearing into the tree. She looked back at Muramasa. "You can still stop this. You don't have to do this."

"I don't have anymore time." Muramasa grit out. "Get out of the way!" As soon as Hitomi had scrambled away, Muramasa held his hand up in front of him. "Gather round the supreme being with they cleansing black souls, offering blood, a pact, and an altar."

Hitomi took a hesitant step back. The trees were suddenly letting off an electric blue aura. "Muramasa, please stop!" She crouched down and covered her head when the trees suddenly shattered into thousands of glass shards. For a moment, nothing happened and she didn't dare move. Finally, she looked up only to find a huge black coffin with swords coming out of it where the trees had once been. She hesitantly reached out and touched Muramasa's hand. "Please…"

"Shut up!" Muramasa slapped Hitomi roughly away, sending the little girl flying to the edge of the island. "I'm finally here. After so long, I finally made it." He glared over his shoulder and once again deflected the Kido attack that Rukia sent at him. He appeared behind the Shinigami and twisted her arms roughly behind her back.

"Rukia-neesan!" Hitomi shouted. She didn't dare try and use a Kido attack for fear that Muramasa would use Rukia as a shield. "Let her go, now!"

"I'm fine, Hitomi." Rukia grit out. "What are you planning to do, Muramasa?"

"Inside that coffin rests my master, Kouga, who once tried to take over Soul Society." Muramasa explained. "I'm going to revive him."

Hitomi sat up just as the coffin began crackling with the same electric blue aura that had destroyed the seal. The aura that came out of the destroyed coffin sent chills up Hitomi's spine. The aura had an evilness to it, much like Aizen's that made Hitomi sick to her stomach. She looked up at the debilitated Shinigami and shuddered.

Muramasa tossed Rukia to the side and ignored Hitomi running over to her. His entire focus was on the unconscious Kouga. "My master…"

"Stop right there!"

"Ichigo-san!" Hitomi shouted excitedly as the Substitute Shinigami distracted Muramasa for a brief moment. Her eyes lit up even more when a familiar person landed beside her. "Oniyuri!"

"Are you okay, Hitomi-sama?" Oniyuri wailed, hugging his master tightly. "I'm so sorry that I didn't protect you!"

Ichigo smiled at Rukia and Hitomi. "Sorry I'm late. You okay, Hitomi?"

Hitomi nodded her head rapidly. "I'm sorry. I broke the seal like he told me to. I should've fought back."

"No." Ichigo said, patting her on the head. "Who knows what he would've done if you'd done that."

Muramasa let out a laugh. "You're too late to stop me now, Kurosaki Ichigo. At long last my dream has come true!"


	56. Kouga

**Sakura02: Lol, poor Ichigo…I wrote this at like 2:00 in the morning so I missed my little 'nee-chan' 'ni-chan' mix up. Rescue Panther!**

**BANEHiwatari: Haha, nope, Hitomi's not a Kuchiki…**

**erica. phoenix16: I think Muramasa's attitude towards Hitomi changed because he was running out of time and getting more desperate. The Zanpaktou know the truth about Hitomi, but I can't say as to why they won't tell her :)**

**Thanks: Saiyuri Haruno, LadyAmazon, Lunaveon, Kimura Emiko, and SeireiteiFantasy for your reviews!**

"I think we're in trouble." Hitomi whispered to Ichigo. She kept a wary eye on Kouga. He hadn't completely awakened yet, but she knew it wouldn't end well for them when he finally opened his eyes. She silently hoped Ichigo had a plan.

"Thanks for the observation, Hitomi. I couldn't tell that on my own." Ichigo grouched out. Ichigo moved protectively in front of Hitomi when Kouga finally opened his eyes. "Stay back, Hitomi."

"Let's go, Ichigo." Rukia said, before charging straight towards Kouga with Ichigo close at her heels.

Hitomi frowned. "Like I'm just going to sit back and watch you guys get beat up." Hitomi drew Oniyuri and charged forward with Ichigo and Rukia as well. Her attempt to help did nothing as Kouga released his reiatsu and sent them all flying before they could even reach him.

"That's not good." Ichigo hissed.

Rukia's eyes were wide with shock. "I can't believe he has that much reiatsu after being sealed away for so long."

Hitomi was about to pipe up when she noticed Muramasa moving towards Kouga. She watched the Zanpaktou make his way closer and closer to his master. Suddenly, Muramasa completely froze right before Kouga. She couldn't see what was happening, but she saw how Muramasa's back went rigid. Something was very, very wrong. "Muramasa!" She gasped out when the Zanpaktou collapsed to his knees. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew that Kouga had hurt Muramasa somehow.

Ichigo had to hold the furious child back from rushing at Kouga. "Don't, Hitomi." He said softly.

Kouga didn't acknowledge the three of them standing there. He scowled down at Muramasa, hatred blazing in his eyes. "You didn't come when I called you when I was about to be sealed away."

Muramasa's surprised voice floated over to the three. "You called for me?"

"You refused to lend me your power." Kouga hissed. He roughly yanked a broken sword out of Muramasa and kicked the Zanpaktou to the ground.

"Stop it!" Hitomi screamed. She yanked herself out of Ichigo's grasp and ran over to Muramasa. She stood protectively in front of the bleeding Zanpaktou. "How dare you treat your Zanpaktou that way! He's been trying this whole time to unseal you, and this is how you repay him?"

Kouga glared down at the little girl. "Shut up, brat. I created his powers! He is supposed to do everything I tell him to!"

Muramasa looked around Hitomi at Kouga. "Weren't we, comrades?" He managed to gasp out.

Kouga laughed mirthlessly. "Comrades? You're nothing more than a sword, a tool for me to use. Tools shouldn't think so highly of themselves!"

"You're the worst kind of Shinigami!" Hitomi shouted, even as Kouga brought the broken sword up. Tears of anger welled up in her eyes. So many people had been hurt because of Muramasa's desire to awaken his master. She knew Muramasa had done everything he had done solely for the love of his master. "Zanpaktou aren't tools! They have feelings, thoughts, and personalities as different as their Shinigami's! Someone like you who doesn't understand that, doesn't deserve a Zanpaktou like Muramasa!"

"Hitomi!" Rukia screamed as Kouga brought his sword down.

Hitomi flinched, but refused to move. She wasn't going to let Muramasa be hurt by Kouga anymore. When the sound of metal hitting metal met her ears, Hitomi slowly opened her eyes. She was shocked to see who had come to her rescue. "Byakuya!"

Byakuya's eyes never strayed from Kouga. "A child knows the truth better than you do." He said coldly. "I cannot believe you called your own Zanpaktou a tool and actually attacked it. You don't deserve the title of 'Shinigami'."

Hitomi lowered her sword. "What are you doing, Byakuya?"

Byakuya said nothing. He pushed Kouga away and moved so that he was no longer standing in front of Hitomi. He drew Kouga's attention completely away from Hitomi and the injured Muramasa.

Kouga appraised Byakuya. "You're from the Kuchiki family. Tell me, has Ginrei finally kicked the bucket?"

Byakuya frowned. "You have no right to speak his name after you soiled the Kuchiki clan's honor."

Hitomi turned her attention to the injured Muramasa. She knelt beside him and gave him a small smile. "Hang on, Muramasa. We'll get you some help."

Muramasa looked up at her, confusion and pain written all over his face. "Why were you willing to protect me after everything I've put you through?"

"I am mad at you for hurting everyone." Hitomi answered. "I understand now why you did all of those horrible things. Your love for your master drove you to do stupid and crazy things. I can understand that, though. If someone were to take my daddy or any of my precious people away, I don't know what crazy things I would do to get them back." She looked up when Senbonzakura suddenly appeared. "Senbonzakura, what's going on?"

"Yeah!" Ichigo hissed angrily. "I think we deserve an explanation for this crap."

"All of you be silent and watch." Senbonzakura said. "This is a battle for the Kuchiki clan's honor."

"Weren't you under Muramasa's spell?" Ichigo asked, more confused than he was before.

Senbonzakura nodded his head. "Yes, I was once. That first time that I fought Byakuya, he defeated me and freed me from the spell. Byakuya had been told about Kouga and his Zanpaktou Muramasa by his grandfather. It is the head of the Kuchiki clan's duty to kill Kouga if he was ever released from his seal."

"That creep is from the Kuchiki clan?" Hitomi snarled out. Sure, Byakuya could be a bit of a cold jerk on occasion, but he would never hurt his Zanpaktou the way Kouga had. "Beat him up good, Byakuya!"

"You could've just told us that from the start!" Ichigo yelled angrily.

"It was all so that we could find where Kouga was sealed." Senbonzakura answered impatiently. Simply killing Muramasa would've been meaningless. We needed to kill Kouga. So, I continued to pretend to be brainwashed. I couldn't find Kouga on my own, so Byakuya remained close to Muramasa, regardless of how all of you would perceive it."

Hitomi frowned. "Why would he do all of that?"

"It is his duty as the head of the Kuchiki clan." Senbonzakura answered.

Hitomi was startled when Muramasa suddenly stood up. "Muramasa, stay down. You're hurt really bad."

Muramasa ignored Hitomi's plea. "Kouga, use me!" He stumbled towards his master. "My power is always with you." He froze in shock when Kouga broke his sword.

"Muramasa!" Hitomi shouted out.

Kouga scoffed. "You'd just get in my way. I can always find a replacement for an unstable Zanpaktou like you."

Hitomi glared angrily at Kouga, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She could feel the pain Muramasa was experiencing, the hurt at being betrayed by his master. She would've rushed to Muramasa's side, but Senbonzakura scooped her up and leapt away just as Muramasa lost control of his reiatsu. She buried her face in Senbonzakura's shoulder and let out a small sob. She looked up when a cold feeling of familiar energy washed over her. "Why was he keeping Menos inside of himself?"

Ichigo leapt forward and cut down three Menos before they could get near Byakuya. "Byakuya, you acted like you betrayed us so you could fight for your family's honor. Leave these Menos to us and you go kick Kouga's ass. Hitomi, you going to help me or not?"

Hitomi let go of Senbonzakura and nodded. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "Yeah! Byakuya, make him pay for how he hurt Muramasa, okay?" She lunged towards the Menos and began cutting them down. She couldn't look over at Byakuya's fight with Kouga, but she wasn't worried. She had complete faith in Byakuya and she knew Senbonzakura would protect Byakuya. She looked over at the swirling mass of red reiatsu where Muramasa was. "Hang on, Muramasa. I'll come save you."


	57. Inner World

**erica. phoenix16: She's more likely close to a recently turned six year olds age. Don't worry, Hitsugaya will have his chance to protect his little Hitomi as soon as he gets out of the fiery ring of doom. I agree maybe I shouldn't have had her completely forgive him so quickly. I think with Hitomi though is that she is a very forgiving child, especially considering Muramasa is nothing like Aizen. I can't tell you yet about Hitomi's family. It would spoil the surprise :)**

**Sakura02: Aizen's too creepy for Hitomi to develop Stockholm Syndrome. **

**Thanks: SeireiteiFantasy, MusicBeeQueen, KandaYuu-DarknessDevours, BANEHiwatari, Masked Bard of Chaos, Saiyuri Haruno, KaKashiisWifey, and AkaneSukishima for reviewing!**

* * *

Hitomi flinched away and almost got hit by a Menos. She quickly composed herself and slashed the creature down. She could hear Muramasa's agonized screams for his master to help him. "We've got to do something…"

"We are." Ichigo said, sending another attack towards the oncoming Hollows. "How are those things coming out of Muramasa's body anyways?"

"He must have absorbed all these Hollows to keep himself stable without his master." Rukia said softly. "Now that he's been betrayed by his master, he's lost control."

"Kouga is a monster…" Hitomi grit out. She flew at more Hollows that had appeared and continued to slash them down alongside Ichigo. She blinked when a volley of blue arrows shot down multiple Hollows. She grinned and waved down at the ground. "Good job, Ishida-san!"

Ishida smirked at Hitomi and Ichigo. "For large hordes like this, the two of you swinging your swords around is useless. My skills are much better suited for these sort of things."

Hitomi glowered down at him. "You're such a jerk, Ishida-san." Her eyes lit up when she saw Orihime and Chad running towards them. She flew down to the ground and latched onto Orihime. "You okay, Orihime-neesan?"

Orihime smiled and nodded. "Of course. What about you?"

"Yeah, but we've got to help Muramasa!" Hitomi exclaimed. She looked over when the sound of something roaring towards them filled her ears. She turned around and saw the Menos firing a cero blast at them.

Orihime quickly brought up a shield to protect the entire group. She kept one arm wrapped protectively around Hitomi. Hitomi cheered and hugged the older girl. "You're amazing, Orihime-neesan!"

Orihime grinned sheepishly. "Thank you." They all looked up when Muramasa let out a particularly loud and anguished scream. "We've got to do something."

Hitomi looked up worriedly at where Muramasa was, only to see he was no longer there. In his place was a black hole that was now sucking in all the Hollows. Even the Menos were being drawn in. "That's not good…" Hitomi screamed when there was suddenly a loud explosion.

Once the smoke had cleared, the entire group looked up. Hitomi gasped when she saw what was floating in the air above them. It looked like a Hollow almost, but she could still remnants of Muramasa's coat and his hands. "Is that Muramasa?"

"What the hell just happened?" Ichigo muttered.

"Zanpaktou are one with their Shinigami." Rukia explained quietly. "When Muramasa was betrayed by Kouga, it tore him up and he couldn't control the Hollows anymore. We need to do something or else his reiatsu may level the whole town."

Hitomi was quiet for a moment. "We're going to have to kill him, aren't we."

Rukia opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to figure out something to say to Hitomi. Her attention abruptly shifted back to Muramasa as he was suddenly flying right towards them. "He's fast!"

"Ichigo-san!" Hitomi screamed. Muramasa flew right into Ichigo and dragged him away from the rest of them. "Let Ichigo-san go, Muramasa!" Hitomi sent an attack right towards Muramasa, drawing his attention to her.

Ishida quickly sent a volley of arrows at Muramasa to distract him from the little girl. Muramasa dodged every single arrow and whipped around, charging straight towards Rukia, Hitomi, and Orihime. Chad stepped into the way and blocked the attack. He sent Muramasa flying through the air, but Muramasa righted himself. Before he could attack again, Ichigo attacked him.

Orihime placed her hand on Hitomi's shoulder. "Hey, Hitomi-chan, don't his eyes look lonely?"

Hitomi looked at the single red eye that was visible. Even though it was different, she could still see all the loneliness and pain there. "Yeah…of course he's lonely. His master betrayed him and hurt him." She looked up when Orihime didn't say anything. "Don't cry, Orihime-neesan! We'll find a way to help him!"

"I think we need to worry about ourselves." Rukia gasped out. None of them would be able to move out of the way of the attack in time. All three of the girls were certain they were done for. At the last minute, something blocked Muramasa's attack and saved all of them. "Ni-sama!" Rukia exclaimed when she saw Byakuya standing there.

"Did you win?" Hitomi asked excitedly.

Byakuya gave her a curt nod. He didn't even flinch when Hitomi ran over and latched onto him. He looked down at the little girl and gave her a small pat on the head. "Did you really think a true Kuchiki would lose? More importantly, we need to do something about that…" He motioned over to Muramasa.

Muramasa suddenly began violently convulsing. "I won't lose…not to these Hollows…"

"He's fighting the Hollows that he absorbed!" Hitomi said. "We have to help him!"

"Inoue, stop!" Rukia shouted, reaching out to grab her friend, but it was too late. She rushed after Orihime.

Hitomi went to go after the two, but she was stopped by Ichigo. She looked up at him with confusion. "Ichigo-san?"

"Seriously, you need to stop running right into danger." Ichigo chastised. "You have a really bad habit of doing that."

Hitomi pouted and pointed an accusing finger at Orihime. "What about Orihime-neesan? She's walking right up to Muramasa and you aren't telling her what to do!"

Ichigo was about to respond when Muramasa suddenly attacked Orihime. Orihime barely had enough time to bring up her shield to defend herself against the attack. Ichigo released Hitomi from his grasp and charged at Muramasa. Hitomi rushed over to where Orihime had fallen. "Are you okay, Orihime-neesan?"

Orihime nodded sadly. "Is there really no way for us to save him from his sorrow?"

Hitomi tried to give Orihime her most confident smile. "If anyone can help Muramasa, it'll be Ichigo-san." All of them remained on the ground, watching Ichigo and Muramasa fighting. For a while, it seemed like Ichigo would be able to defeat Muramasa, but then Muramasa unleashed more of his reiatsu. Hitomi's eyes widened when even more Hollows began to appear. "That is not good…"

Rukia and Hitomi both stood protectively in front of Orihime and destroyed any Hollows that got too close. Just as suddenly as the Hollows had begun appearing, they all disappeared. Hitomi looked up at the sky and saw Muramasa falling. None of the group dared to move as Ichigo landed a few feet away from the smoky area where Muramasa had fallen. "He's still standing…" Hitomi said quietly once the smoke had cleared.

"Hitomi!" Rukia reached out to try and grab the little girl, but it was too late.

"Muramasa, stop it!" Hitomi shouted, running to stand right by Ichigo. She glared angrily at him. "You better not let those Hollows control you! I won't forgive you if you do!"

"Get back over to Rukia and the others now." Ichigo hissed. He moved protectively in front of Hitomi when Muramasa's body completely disappeared into a mass of dark reiatsu. Ichigo wrapped an arm protectively around Hitomi just as they were completely engulfed in the reiatsu.

Hitomi slowly opened her eyes when she realized she wasn't dead. She almost wished she hadn't when she realized that she and Ichigo were falling through the red and black reiatsu. She clung tightly to Ichigo and shook his jacket. "Ichigo-san, wake up! Please, please wake up!"

Ichigo woke up just as the two of them plunged through icy cold water. He wrapped his arms around Hitomi and held her close. He thought for sure he would run out of air before they finally broke the surface of the water and came out into the air. "You okay, Hitomi?"

Hitomi nodded slowly. "Where are we anyways?" She asked, looking around at the strange place they had wound up in. The entire place was covered in water, save for a few pillars coming out from the water.

"I never expected the two of you to show up." Muramasa said quietly, walking over to the two of them on the water. "How did you get here anyways?"

Ichigo shrugged, still holding Hitomi in his arms. "How should I know? Where are we?"

Hitomi looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You can't tell? This is Muramasa's home."

"What's left of it." Muramasa confirmed, placing his hand over heart. "What am I doing here?" He muttered to himself. "Did my reunion with Kouga drag me here, or is this merely an illusion? It doesn't matter in the end; this world will soon collapse. I am sorry that I dragged you into all of this, Hitomi-sama."

"Let's get out of here before this place collapses, Muramasa." Hitomi said. "You can stay with me. I don't think Daddy will mind all that much. You can stay with me and Oniyuri."

"Kurosaki, I would like for you to put Hitomi-sama down." Muramasa said, holding his hand out and summoning his sword. "I want to finish our fight before this world collapses."

"Ichigo-san, please don't." Hitomi pleaded. Her voice fell on deaf ears. She tried to hold tighter onto Ichigo, but he eventually managed to put her down on one of the pillars. "Ichigo-san…"

"I'll do what I can." Ichigo said softly. "Just stay put, okay?"

Hitomi reluctantly nodded. She clutched tightly to the hilt of her sword and watched the two of them fighting. She wanted to so badly to jump into the fight and stop the two of them, but she trusted Ichigo. She knew that if he said he would try and save Muramasa, that he would try his best. There a few moments in the battle where she was tempted to interfere, but Oniyuri would quickly chime in her mind to not interfere. She flinched when it became clear that the fight was in Ichigo's favor. How could it not be? He was fighting with Zangetsu, and Muramasa was fighting alone. "Muramasa, please stop! You can come home with me! Just please stop!"

"Hitomi, get down here now! We've got to get out of here!" Ichigo shouted.

As quickly as she could, Hitomi leapt down from the pillar and landed right next to Ichigo on the water. She looked warily around. "Where'd Muramasa…?" She brought her sword up and blocked Muramasa's attack from hitting Ichigo. She managed to push Muramasa away. "Stop it, Muramasa. The Hollows are going to get here soon. You have to come with us."

Muramasa stared at Hitomi for a moment. "Your family is looking for you…" He suddenly lunged forward when Hitomi's grip slackened.

Ichigo rushed forward and threw Muramasa into a pillar. "Hitomi! Hey, what'd he say to you?"

Hitomi blinked out of her stupor. "Oh…Nothing…" She gasped when the pillar Muramasa had slammed into suddenly collapsed. "Muramasa!"

_"Hitomi, we have to get out of here!"_ Oniyuri screamed in Hitomi's mind. _"If you and Ichigo-san don't hurry, you'll be trapped here too!"_

Ichigo looked up when Muramasa leapt out of the water and landed on a nearby pillar. "Muramasa, why are you doing this? He said he didn't need you anymore!"

"Shut up!" Muramasa hissed. "Kouga was strong enough to take over all of Soul Society. I was proud of that fact." He took a deep breath. "I can still fight."

Hitomi placed herself between Ichigo and Muramasa, blocking the attack. "I won't let you hurt Ichigo-san, Muramasa. Please, just stop this and come with me. I'm not as strong as Kouga, but I'll take care of you. So please, just stop fighting."

For a moment, Muramasa seemed to hesitate. With a snarl, he slapped Hitomi out of the way. He lunged at Ichigo and the two resumed fighting.

_"Hitomi-sama, please!" _Oniyuri shouted.

Hitomi sat on the water and sniffled. "Why? Why would Muramasa keep fighting for a master that didn't love him and threw him away?"

Oniyuri was silent in Hitomi's mind of a moment. _"I think I would do the same thing. Even if Hitomi-sama were to betray me and abandon me, I would do anything to bring you back if you were sealed away."_

"Oniyuri…" Hitomi quickly made her way over to the pillar Ichigo was on. She looked over sadly at Muramasa. "Is he going to become a Hollow?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, he won't." He looked across the water at the pillar Muramasa was standing on. "Muramasa, I believe that I am always with Zangetsu. I'm not the only one that feels that way about their Zanpaktou. Hitomi, my friends, the captains…they all believe that Shinigami and their Zanpaktous have an unshakeable bond. You know that better than anyone, so why would you make such a mockery of it?"

"I don't need to be lectured by someone like you!" Muramasa shouted.

Hitomi glanced over and saw a large wave rushing towards them. She tugged on Ichigo's sleeve. "Ichigo-san…"

"Yeah, I know." Ichigo said quietly. He lunged at Muramasa with Hitomi close on his heels. "Stay to my side. I don't want you getting hit."

"I know." Hitomi said. She stayed to Ichigo's side, away from where he and Muramasa were swinging their swords at each other. She flinched when Ichigo's sword connected with Muramasa. The wave of water crashed around them.

Ichigo grabbed Hitomi and held her close with one arm as they were engulfed in water. He searched blindly around until he found Muramasa falling just below them. Before he could do anything, Hitomi had wriggled out of his arms and was swimming towards Muramasa.

"Muramasa!" Hitomi reached out and caught Muramasa's hand before he could be dragged down any further. There was a sudden and blinding light. When Hitomi opened her eyes, they were back on the island. Hitomi was still holding Muramasa's hand in hers. She looked over and saw Ichigo was holding Muramasa's other hand. "Muramasa, hang on, okay?"

Muramasa looked at the two of them. "Is this what it means for our souls to understand each other?"

"Yeah." Ichigo said quietly.

"I led Kouga astray…" Muramasa coughed out.

"It's okay, Muramasa." Hitomi said. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You just have to do what you can to make things right." She wanted so badly to ask him what he meant about her family. For some reason, the words died in her throat every time she tried to say something. She blinked when Muramasa squeezed her hand.

"Take care…of…her…" Muramasa whispered.

It took Hitomi a moment to realize that Muramasa had been speaking to Oniyuri. "Muramasa!" His hand completely slipped through her hand and he disappeared.

"Hitomi!"

Hitomi stood up and gasped when she saw who was floating in the air above her. "Daddy!" She rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. "Were you fighting the Hollows out here?"

Hitsugaya hugged Hitomi before smacking her upside the head. "You are grounded when we get back to Soul Society!"

"What'd I do?" Hitomi whined, still holding tightly to Hitsugaya. She rested her head on Hitsugaya's shoulder and sighed. She looked up when she felt something wet hit her face. "Rain?" She looked over at Hyōrinmaru and gasped when she saw him disappearing. She looked around and saw that all the other Zanpaktou were disappearing as well. "Where'd they go?"

Hitsugaya smiled and patted the sword at his side. "They've finally returned where they belong."

Hitomi held onto Hitsugaya for a while, not saying anything. She thought about Muramasa and about what he'd said about her family. She looked up at Hitsugaya, the man that had raised her since she was a baby. "Can we go home now, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya looked down at Hitomi and gave her a small smile. "Yes."


	58. Sword Fiends Appear

**I'm sorry for being gone so long. Hope you'll all enjoy this chapter!**

**Sakura02: Lol, you just want to see Kazeshini with a baby XD**

**Thank you: erica. phoenix16, TheParadoxicalOtaku, Saiyuri Haruno, SeireiteiFantasy, BANEHiwatari, Autobot traitor, KaKashiisWifey, Lunaveon and Rmc01 for reviewing!**

**Over 800 reviews! You guys are awesome! I hope you'll continue to read and review this story to the end :)**

* * *

"Don't even think about it, Hitomi." Hitsugaya said sternly, not even bothering to look up from all his paperwork.

Hitomi pouted and shuffled away from the door. It'd been a few days since their fight with Muramasa and everyone was recuperating in their own way. Hitsugaya, of course, simply threw himself right back into his work. She walked over to his desk and knelt beside him. "Please, Daddy? I promise I'll be good."

Hitsugaya glared over at Hitomi. He poked her in the forehead with each word he said. "You are grounded. You are not leaving my sight. Every time you go somewhere, bad things happen."

"Please, Daddy?" Hitomi whined. She clung to Hitsugaya's sleeve and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Rukia said they're having a sakura viewing festival at the Kuchiki manor. I really want to go. You can come too!"

"No." Hitsugaya said. With that, he turned back to his work without another word.

Hitomi pouted, but didn't say anything else. She laid down and rested her head on Hitsugaya's leg. She was still pretty exhausted from the fight. This was the first day that she'd really wanted to go outside and play. Unfortunately, Hitsugaya seemed intent on making sure Hitomi served her entire grounding sentence. She looked up when she felt small hands petting her hair. She looked up and was surprised at who she saw. "What are you doing out, Oniyuri?"

Oniyuri grinned sheepishly at Hitomi and Hitsugaya. "Rukia-sama is here to see you."

Rukia rushed in a few minutes later, looking rather frazzled. She quickly explained about the attack on the Kuchiki manor by two creatures that Mayuri had dubbed 'Sword Fiends'. Shirayuki had managed to kill one of them with Senbonzakura's help, but the other one had gotten away. "We need your help to catch the other one."

Hitsugaya sighed when he saw the excited look on Hitomi's face. "I'll get Matsumoto."

* * *

Hitsugaya could feel a migraine coming on as he watched Hitomi running all over the place. Luckily, she was mostly hanging out with Matsumoto and Haineko, though both were already completely drunk. "So, why exactly is my barrack having to host a party?"

"The Sword Fiend attacked at the Kuchiki sakura viewing party." Senbonzakura explained. He looked down when he felt Hitomi tugging on his hand. He easily pulled her up and put her on his shoulder. "Since he likes parties, he'll surely show up here."

"I think you just secretly like parties, Senbonzakura." Hitomi giggled out.

Senbonzakura was silent for a moment. "…No."

The party died down after a few hours, everyone in a drunken sleep save for Rukia, Hitsugaya, Shirayuki, and Hitomi. Hitomi leaned against Hitsugaya's side and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I'm tired, Daddy. Can we go home? I don't think the Sword Fiend is going to show up."

Rukia bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry about all this, Hitsugaya-taicho."

Hitsugaya waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine." He picked Hitomi up. "Nobody has gotten to relax since the Muramasa fight. This was nice for everyone. I'll let you clean everything up."

Hitomi yawned and waved at Rukia. "Night-night, Rukia-neesan, Shirayuki."

"Taicho, Hitomi, wait for me!" Matsumoto whined, stumbling after the two.

Hitsugaya glared at Matsumoto. "Be quiet. She's about to fall asleep."

Matsumoto cooed and reached out to take the sleepy Hitomi from Hitsugaya. She nuzzled her cheek with Hitomi's. "Is my baby girl tired?"

Hitomi nodded slowly. "Is it really okay to leave Rukia-neesan and Shirayuki like that? What if the Sword Fiend shows up and hurts them?"

Hitsugaya shook his head. "I seriously doubt that thing will show up. If it does, Kuchiki can handle it just fine." He looked over at Hitomi and sighed at the worried look on her face. "If you go straight to bed as soon as we get back, you can go see Ukitake-taicho tomorrow."

Hitomi's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Daddy! I love you! You're the best daddy in the whole wide world!"

* * *

"Quit it." Oniyuri snapped impatiently, growling at the twin boys tugging on his tail.

Hitomi pouted and put her hands on her hips. "Sōgyo no Kotowari, leave Oniyuri alone. I won't play with you anymore if you keep being mean."

Both boys pouted and threw their arms around Hitomi. "We're sorry, Hitomi-sama!" They both whined in unison. "We'll be good. We promise."

Ukitake chuckled. "Sōgyo no Kotowari, you're crushing, Hitomi."

Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief when the two boys finally let her go. The four children began playing tag in the room, though Oniyuri was rather reluctant. He was getting tired of the twins grabbing his tail and yanking on it. Hitomi was about to scold them again when Rukia and Shirayuki walked up. She ran over to stand between Ukitake and Kyouraku. "Rukia-neesan, Shirayuki!"

"Good morning, Hitomi-sama." Shirayuki said softly. "I hope you slept well? No nightmares?"

"Nope, no nightmares." Hitomi said with a smile. "Hey, did you ever find that Sword Fiend?"

Rukia nodded and quickly explained about how she and Shirayuki defeated the Sword Fiend shortly after Hitomi had left with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. "We took him to Mayuri-taicho for research."

"Are you two okay?" Hitomi asked worriedly. She ran over and hugged Rukia. "I'm sorry. I should've made Daddy stay."

"We're both fine." Rukia assured the little girl. She looked up at Ukitake. "I don't suppose we're lucky enough for that to have been the last of the Sword Fiends?"

Ukitake sighed and shook his head. "No. We've had more reports of similar incidents occurring."

"And the Zanpaktou are still materialized." Kyouraku said quietly. "It seems we still haven't addressed the real issue."

"Don't worry." Shirayuki said when she saw the worried looks on both Hitomi and Rukia's faces. "We'll do what we can to help."

Hitomi grinned up at Shirayuki. She turned to see that poor Oniyuri was currently being sat on by the rambunctious twins. "Oniyuri, let's go! We've got to go tell Daddy!"

Sōgyo no Kotowari pouted and ran over to hug Hitomi. "Come back and play soon, Hitomi-sama!"

"I will." Hitomi promised before running off with Oniyuri back towards the tenth division barracks.

* * *

"Stop grinning like an idiot." Hitsugaya sighed impatiently.

"I can't help it." Hitomi said. The two floated up in the air above Karakura Town, looking for a Sword Fiend that had managed to escape to the Human World. "This is my first time really getting to see this place. Last time I was here was right after the Zanpaktou started rebelling and we didn't stay long." Her eyes lit up suddenly and she pointed at the ground. "There's Ichigo-san! He's fighting the Sword Fiend!"

Hitsugaya sighed as the Sword Fiend leapt away from Ichigo. "Hitomi, stay with Ichigo. I'll deal with the Sword Fiend."

"Hitomi, what are you doing here?" Ichigo asked in surprise as the little girl flew down and hugged him tightly. "What was that thing?"

"It's a Sword Fiend." Hitomi explained. "They're Zanpaktou that have lost their masters. Daddy and I came to tell you about what's going on."

Hitsugaya joined the two of them a moment later. "He got away…"

Ichigo sighed. "Let's go to Urahara's Shop to talk. I have a feeling this is going to take a while."

Hitomi recognized the shop once they entered. It had been where she and Rukia had rested after the first Zanpaktou attack. Urahara led them to a small table to sit while Tessai brought them tea. After Hitsugaya and Hitomi explained everything to them, Urahara sighed.

"And that's basically all we know right now." Hitomi said, looking up at Ichigo for his reaction.

Ichigo sighed in annoyance. "Like that really explains anything…How are you handling the whole 'having to destroy the Sword Fiends' thing? You got pretty emotional with the Zanpaktou."

Hitomi looked down at the floor and didn't say anything for a minute. "I…"

"I found Hitsugaya-taicho and Hitomi-sama!" Haineko crowed, slamming the door open. She was followed closely by a rather puzzled looking Matsumoto.

"I didn't tell you to follow me here!" Hitsugaya snapped irritably at Matsumoto.

"I'll make more tea." Tessai said calmly, getting up to do so.

Matsumoto giggled nervously. "You don't have to glare at us like that. Haineko wanted to see the real world and I was worried about my little Hitomi. Look at all the pictures we've taken!"

Ichigo blushed as several pictures were shoved in his face. "I don't want to see them!"

"I do! I do!" Hitomi shouted excitedly. She stole one of the pictures away and looked closely at it. She grinned over at Hitsugaya and held the picture of Matsumoto and Haineko posing rather provocatively up for him to see. "Hey, Daddy, can I do this when I'm older?"

Hitsugaya could feel a migraine coming on. "I've had enough of the two of you!" He shouted, pointing at Haineko and Matsumoto. "No, Hitomi, you may not do that when you're older!"

Hitomi shrank away and scooted closer to Ichigo, clinging to the teenage boy's arm. "Daddy is scary when he's angry…"

"No kidding…" Ichigo muttered.

Hitsugaya sighed and stood up, Hyōrinmaru materializing beside him. "I'm going on patrol. Matsumoto, stay with Hitomi."

"Can't I go with you?" Hitomi asked, standing up and running over to latch onto Hyōrinmaru's arm. "Hyōrinmaru, tell Daddy to let me go with you guys."

Hyōrinmaru looked between the pleading eyes of Hitomi, and the irritated ones of his master. He sighed and patted Hitomi's head. "Stay with Matsumoto and Haineko. You'll have more fun with them."

"We'll be back soon. Stay out of trouble." Hitsugaya said, giving Hitomi a quick pat on the head before leaving.

"Why don't I take you over to see Inoue?" Ichigo said, quickly scooping Hitomi up before she could run after Hitsugaya. "She'll love to see you."

A few minutes later, Ichigo had dumped Hitomi, Matsumoto, and Haineko off over at Orihime's. The girls had all gotten gigais before leaving Urahara's shop. Hitomi felt weird being in a gigai, but she eventually got used to it. She looked at herself uncertainly in the mirror in front of her. "Is it okay for me to wear this?"

Orihime grinned and pulled Hitomi's hair into two pigtails. "You look so cute in my old school uniform!"

Hitomi spun around in the pleated skirt and button up white shirt. She'd never worn clothes like these before. They revealed much more than her shinigami uniform did, but she liked the way she looked in it. When Matsumoto and Haineko walked out in extras of Orihime's current school uniform, she pouted. "No fair. Why can't I look pretty like all of you?"

Matsumoto grinned and picked Hitomi up. "You look adorable, Hitomi! You're not old enough to dress like us just yet. You don't want to give poor Hitsugaya-taicho a heart attack, do you? Now, let's go take some pictures!"

The girls spent the rest of the day shopping and going to various picture spots. Hitomi was still pouting that she didn't look as cute as the older girls, but Matsumoto insisted she was the cutest of all. "Matsumoto-mama, it looks like it's going to rain."

Matsumoto gave Hitomi's hand a small squeeze. She looked up at the gray clouds overhead. "You're right…" she suddenly froze, pulling Hitomi closer to her side. "There's a Sword Fiend over there."

Hitomi looked over at the building Matsumoto was pointing at. "That's the one we've been tracking all day, right?"

"Really?" Haineko asked, surprised.

"Of course." Matsumoto said. "I'm a fukutaicho. It's my job to investigate these things. We need to bring that Sword Fiend into custody."

Hitomi shifted nervously. "There's something wrong with his reiatsu. It's not the same as before."

"Let's go." Matsumoto said, leading the way towards a construction site just as the rain began to fall. They stopped and looked around before Orihime pointed to what appeared to be a Hollow standing above them.

"Hitomi, out of the gigai, now." Matsumoto instructed.

Before either Hitomi or Matsumoto could get out of their gigai's, the Hollow cut down a group of beams hanging in the air above them. Hitomi would've been squished if not for a white and black blur rushing forward and grabbing her away to safety. "Oniyuri, what are you doing here?"

"Why'd you leave me at Urahara's?" Oniyuri wailed.

"Sorry. I got really excited about going to Orihime-neesan's and I forgot." Hitomi said sheepishly. "Are you okay, Matsumoto-mama, Orihime, Haineko?"

Orihime dropped the shield she'd put up to protect everyone. "Yes."

"I'm fine." Matsumoto grit out. "Are you okay, Hitomi."

"Yes!" She yelped when the Hollow leapt down to the ground right in front of him. "Why's that Hollow have a sword? Hollows aren't supposed to have swords!"

"I'll deal with him." Haineko said right before the Hollow slammed her into a wall. She would've been killed were it not for Ichigo appearing and cutting the Hollow's arm.

Ichigo handed the unconscious Haineko over to Matsumoto as the Hollow made a run for it. "Take care of her. Hitomi, stay put and stop making that face."

"Ichigo-san will be okay, right?" Hitomi asked worriedly.

Orihime nodded. "Kurosaki-kun will be fine. Besides, your dad is around here somewhere."

Haineko came around shortly afterwards. The rain stopped and the girls went to where they sensed Ichigo and Hitsugaya's presence. Hitomi ran over and hugged Hitsugaya around the waist. "I'm glad you're okay, Daddy."

Hitsugaya patted Hitomi's head before resting his hand on top of her head. "The Sword Fiends become more powerful if they fuse with another spiritual entity. Everyone, we have to be very careful when dealing with them."

Hitomi clung tighter to Hitsugaya. Hopefully, they would be able to handle the Sword Fiends without anyone getting seriously injured.


	59. A Day with Hebi

**Sakura02: Hitsugaya is eventually just going to get one of those invisible fences for Hitomi so she can't get out anymore.  
erica. phoenix16: The sword fiends will be in the next couple of chapters and then we're going back to the manga.**

**Thanks: Masked Bard of Chaos, Sayuri Haruno, PSYCH0xSEXY, Lunaveon, rmc01, and SeireiteiFantasy for your reviews!**

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Hitomi smiled happily to herself as she skipped down the sidewalk with Oniyuri close on her heels. She'd left her gigai back at Orihime's house. She wanted to explore as much of Karakura without adults pestering her about why she was wandering around on her own. She blinked when she noticed a familiar boy coming towards her. "What are you doing by yourself, Hebi?"

Hebi grinned widely at Hitomi. He ran over to the little shinigami and hugged her tightly. "I'm free, Hitomi-sama!"

"Where's Renji-chan and Saru?" Hitomi asked curiously, looking around for the other two.

Hebi finally released Hitomi and grabbed her hand. "We were chasing this Sword Fiend, and Saru took the chain off of me! Only now, I don't want to go back to being chained to her, so I'm on my own now! Isn't that great?"

"You abandoned your master?" Oniyuri asked incredulously, fixing Hebi with a disapproving scowl.

"You wouldn't understand." Hebi quipped back. "You're not stuck to some loud mouth, and you've got Hitomi-sama as your master! I don't care what you say, I'm not going back!"

Hitomi stood there thoughtfully for a moment, blocking out Hebi and Oniyuri's arguing. After a moment, she smiled and grabbed both Hebi and Oniyuri's hand. "Well, since you're free now, what do you want to do?"

Hebi was surprised, as was Oniyuri. Hebi thought for a moment, before a huge grin split across his face. He pointed over to a twenty-four hour convenience store across the street. "I want to go over there!"

* * *

"Hitomi-sama, we shouldn't be doing this!" Oniyuri wailed, looking warily around while Hebi grabbed food into his arms.

Hitomi smiled reassuringly at Oniyuri. "It's okay. I'll come back later and leave them some money." She sat down on the floor beside Hebi, smiling even wider at the excited grin on his face. "You seem really happy, Hebi."

"Well, yeah!" Hebi said with a grin. "I can pig out without anyone chastising me!"

"Hold it!" A young girl stood over the three of them. She had short black hair and and angry scowl on her face.

Hitomi blinked, surprised that the girl could see them. This didn't seem to bother Hebi in the slightest. "What?" He snapped irritably.

The girl's scowl deepened. "Don't give me that! You can't just eat that without paying for it! Hey, there's some kids over here trying to eat without paying!"

"Let's go, Hitomi-sama!" Oniyuri quickly grabbed Hitomi's hand and yanked her up.

Hitomi grabbed Hebi's hand and the three quickly rushed out before the little girl realized they were gone. They eventually wound up in a park a short ways away. Hitomi smiled apologetically at Hebi and squeezed his hand. "Is there something else you want to do?"

Hebi pouted. "I don't get what that girl's problem was!" His eyes suddenly lit up when he noticed a flock of pigeons nearby. He released Hitomi's hand and immediately began to chase after them excitedly.

"I'm glad Hebi is so happy." Hitomi said, giggling when Hebi's attention was caught by a frog.

Oniyuri sighed. "Simple minds, simple pleasures."

"Hitomi-sama, come help me catch this frog!" Hebi shouted, waving his arms around excitedly.

Despite Oniyuri's protest, Hitomi ran over to help Hebi catch the frog. With a reluctant sigh, Oniyuri joined in. Hitomi didn't bother commenting about how excited Oniyuri seemed to get when they finally caught the frog.

The three took a brief afternoon nap under one of the tall trees in the park, Hitomi sleeping soundly between the two Zanpaktou. After their afternoon nap, the three went back into town and began wandering the streets. Hitomi stood between the two and held both their hands.

"This is great!" Hebi said, swinging his and Hitomi's hand back and forth. "I can do whatever I want when Saru isn't around!" His stomach suddenly growled rather loudly. He looked over at a food stand nearby and quickly ran over. "Hey, give us some food!" He frowned when the man completely ignored him and began helping another customer. "Hey! Can't you see me?"

"They can't see us, Hebi." Hitomi said. "None of us have a gigai on right now."

Oniyuri frowned thoughtfully. "Then, why could that girl see us at the store?"

The three eventually wound up sitting on a railing. The sun was getting low in the sky and Hebi was still very hungry. Hitomi had tried to convince Hebi to go home with her, but he'd stubbornly refused.

"Hey, you're those kids from the store!" The girl from early was standing beside them with a rather confused looking blonde girl tagging along behind her.

Hitomi smiled sheepishly at the girl. "I'm really sorry about earlier. I was going to go back and pay for everything, honest. Hebi was just really hungry."

The blonde girl blinked in confusion. "Who are you talking to, Karin-chan?"

Karin pointed to the strange group. "The three kids in the weird outfits."

The blonde girl faced away from the group and bowed. "It's nice to meet you, kids in the weird outfits."

Hitomi waved absently. "We're over here…"

Karin rolled her eyes. "Are you guys hungry. I saw the red head kid drooling earlier."

"I was not!" Hebi shouted angrily, his face turning red when Oniyuri laughed at him. "Just go away, you annoying brat!"

"Hebi, don't be rude!" Hitomi scolded. She gave Karin an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him. He's really stubborn."

Karin shrugged. "Whatever. Let's go, Yuzu." Karin and Yuzu walked off, leaving Hitomi, Oniyuri, and Hebi behind.

Hitomi blinked and looked down, noticing that Karin had left three onigiri from the store behind. Hitomi smiled and handed one to Hebi and one to Oniyuri. "Karin-chan seems really nice. Maybe we should go thank her."

Hebi pouted. "No way! Like I'm going to eat this thing that that brat left behind!" A moment later, Hebi had completely scarfed down the onigiri. He smacked his lips happily. When he looked up, his dark blue eyes connected with Hitomi's lighter blue ones. He sighed in annoyance. "Fine. We can go…thank her or whatever."

They caught up to Yuzu and Karin quickly enough. "Hey!" Hebi shouted, causing Karin to pause. When the little girl turned around, Hebi shuffled his feet nervously. "Um…"

Hitomi smiled at Karin. "Thanks for the onigiri. It was really good."

"I wouldn't know!" Hebi shouted. "I didn't eat it!"

Karin smirked and pointed at Hebi's face. "How can you lie with the evidence all over your face? Are you guys still hungry?"

"Yes!" Oniyuri and Hitomi chimed together.

"No!" Hebi shouted angrily.

Yuzu came over and smiled. "Are the three of them still hungry?" Yuzu clapped her hands together excitedly. "I've got a great idea! Why don't we let the three of them come home with us."

Yuzu skipped happily ahead while the rest of them walked along behind her. Hitomi looked curiously at the two girls. There was something oddly familiar about them, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Once they reached Yuzu and Karin's house, Hitomi, Hebi, and Oniyuri sat down at the table while Yuzu went to make them tea.

"You've got a really nice house, Karin-chan." Hitomi said with a smile.

Karin smiled at Hitomi. "Thanks. You know, you don't look quite as weird as the other two. Are all ghost this weird looking?"

Hitomi giggled. "We aren't ghost. Hebi and Oniyuri are Zanpaktou. I'm a shinigami." Hitomi said proudly.

Yuzu came back into the room with three cups of tea. She placed them on the opposite side of where Hebi, Hitomi, and Oniyuri actually were. "Sip it carefully; the tea is really hot."

Karin chuckled and walked over, scooting the tea over to Hitomi and the others. "My dad and Ichi-nii are out right now. When they get back, can you guys hide? I'm pretty sure Ichi-nii will be able to see you guys."

"Ichi-nii?" Hitomi mulled the name over thoughtfully. She really felt like she should know who that person was.

Hebi scoffed. "So, you always have someone with you? That's so lame. I'm on my own so I can do whatever I want."

Oniyuri rolled his eyes. "You aren't alone. Hitomi-sama and I have been with you all day."

"That's different." Hebi pouted. "Hitomi doesn't nag me and tell me what to do."

Karin frowned. "You couldn't even get food on your own. Besides, there's nothing cool about being alone. What about your mom and dad?"

"I don't have any!" Hebi shouted angrily. "I'm a Zanpaktou!"

Yuzu came back over and with Karin's help, put some pudding in front of Hebi. "It was supposed to be Onii-chan's, but you three can share it."

Oniyuri let out an angry mewl when Hebi swallowed the entire pudding by himself. "You were supposed to share it with us!"

While Hebi and Oniyuri argued, Karin turned to Hitomi. "Do you and Oniyuri not have parents either?"

Hitomi shook her head. "Oniyuri is my Zanpaktou. He was born with me, so I guess I'm kind of like his mommy. Matsumoto-mama found me in a box so her and Daddy have been taking care of me since I was a baby."

Yuzu grinned happily, completely missing the conversation between Karin and Yuzu. "So, what game should we play?"

Karin led everyone into the living room where a game console was set up. She watched curiously as Hitomi, Oniyuri, and Hebi all poked at the game console. "You guys are acting like you've never seen one before."

"We haven't." Hitomi said, smiling sheepishly. "We don't have these kinds of things."

Hebi plopped down and picked up the controller. He turned it over in his hand before pouting and throwing it to the ground. "I can't play this!"

Yuzu got down a board game, but Hitomi, Oniyuri, and Hebi were all confused about how they were supposed to play the game. Eventually, the girls simply put the television on. Karin watched the strange trio in amusement. It seemed they didn't have televisions either. After a little while, Yuzu yawned.

Hitomi scooted back to sit beside Karin on the floor while Oniyuri and Hebi remained engrossed by the television. "Thanks for letting us stay here. You and Yuzu-chan are both very nice."

Karin grinned. "No worries. Aren't your mom and dad probably worried about you right now?"

"They're working really hard right now, so they probably won't get back until really late." Hitomi answered. "I'll go back in a little bit. I just want to make sure Hebi is okay."

"Is he a really good friend of yours?" Karin asked curiously.

"Yeah." Hitomi said quietly. "Hebi, Oniyuri, and the others…they've been there for me for as long as I can remember. I feel like now, I should be there for them too whenever they need me." Hitomi let out a yawn and rested her head against the couch behind her. She would just rest her eyes for a few minutes.

When Hebi turned around, he saw that Yuzu, Karin, and Hitomi were all sound asleep. He smiled and poked Oniyuri to get him to turn around. "Hitomi-sama sure looks adorable when she's asleep."

Oniyuri went over to Hitomi and curled up beside her. Hebi curled up between Karin and Hitomi. Both Zanpaktou quickly fell asleep.

Hitomi wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. She was awoken to someone gently shaking her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised at who she saw standing over her. "Ichigo-san!"

Ichigo sighed and helped Hitomi sit up. He glanced over at Hebi whom he had just woken up a few moments ago. "Renji is really worried about you, you know. You should be with him."

"Shut up!" Hebi snapped angrily. "It's none of your business what I do."

"Hebi, please don't yell…" Hitomi whispered, looking worriedly over at where Karin was beginning to stir.

Hebi bristled and glared at the slowly awakening Karin. "This totally sucks! I can't believe you brought me here!" He ran out before anyone could stop him.

Karin quickly got up and ran after him. "Hey, wait!"

"Karin-chan, don't go by yourself!" Hitomi leapt up and rushed after the girl, followed closely by Oniyuri. She quickly caught up to Karin. "Karin-chan, maybe you should go back to Ichigo-san. Oniyuri and I will find Hebi."

"No way!" Karin said stubbornly. The two girls ran side by side while Oniyuri ran a little bit behind them. "He doesn't get to just yell at me and leave." She looked up when she saw Hebi a few feet away. "Hebi!" She shouted, waving frantically to him.

Hitomi noticed the Sword Fiend before Karin did. "Karin-chan, get out of here!"

The Sword Fiend was suddenly standing right behind Karin. He roughly slapped Karin away from Hitomi and Oniyuri. When they tried to rush forward to help Karin, the Sword Fiend moved directly in front of her. "I'm taking this girl hostage. Any of you guys try to attack me, she dies."

"You coward!" Hitomi snarled.

"Shut up, brat!" The Sword Fiend roughly slapped Hitomi into a wall. When Oniyuri tried to go to Hitomi, the Sword Fiend roughly punched him in the gut. He then proceeded to pummel Hebi. He leered down at Hebi. "I'm not letting any of you take away my freedom! Who cares about things like masters and friends?"

"Hitomi-sama, stay down." Hebi hissed, glaring at the Sword Fiend. "I'm going to take care of this guy myself."

"Hebi…" Hitomi winced, finally managing to get in a lungful of air. She managed to crawl over to Karin and Oniyuri. She was relieved to see that while bother were unconscious, neither was seriously wounded.

"You're pathetic." Hebi said coolly. "Hanging out with friends is fun."

The Sword Fiend snarled. "Shut up!"

"Hebi!" Hitomi cried out as the Sword Fiend threw his sword at the Zanpaktou. There was no way she'd get over to him fast enough, nor was there enough time for Hebi to move. Hitomi grinned when Renji and Saru appeared, deflecting the sword away from Hebi. "Renji, Saru!"

Renji smiled over at the shocked Hebi. "Good job drawing him out. We'll take it from here. You okay over there, Hitomi?"

"Yes!" Hitomi said. She was relieved to see that Saru and Hebi were happy to see each other. She sat back and watched Renji and Saru easily deal with the Sword Fiend. "You should get Karin-chan back to Ichigo-san. He's probably really worried about her."

Hebi gently put Karin on his back and began carrying her back in the direction of the Kurosaki house. Hitomi managed to rouse Oniyuri. She was about to chase after Hebi, but was stopped by Renji grabbing her arm.

"You need to go home." Renji instructed firmly. "Hitsugaya-taicho is worried sick about you."

"I'm going to be grounded again." Hitomi sighed out. "Let's go home, Oniyuri."

Oniyuri smiled. "Okay, Hitomi-sama."

"I hope we can come back and play with Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan soon." Hitomi sighed wistfully. "I like the living world. It's really fun."


	60. Research Department

**erica. phoenix16: I'm not too thrilled with the final arc of Bleach. Hopefully it will start getting more exciting.  
Lunaveon: There will actually be a Hitsugaya and Hitomi chapter very soon.  
Sakura02: Lol. If papa-taicho knew half the stuff his baby girl did, she'd be locked in a room with no windows the rest of her life.  
Noble Korhedron: These are basically fillers within fillers. After Muramasa died, some of Zanpaktou didn't have masters to go back to because their shinigami had been killed. The Sword Fiends are those Zanpaktou. I hope that helped…  
Guest: There will actually be a chapter like that coming up…thought I'm not sure if there will be a tickle fight :)**

**Thank you: Masked Bard of Chaos, Saiyuri Haruno, anonymous, rmc01, cassie studnicka, and Guest for your reviews.**

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Hitsugaya took a deep breath, counted to ten, and then resumed his paperwork. The sound of feet kicking against the couch in his office caused him to pause again. He sighed and looked up at Hitomi. "Isn't there something you should be doing right now? Homework? Paperwork? Something that doesn't involve you being in this room?"

Hitomi pouted over at Hitsugaya. "I just wanted to spend some time with you. Things have been so crazy since Aizen just stopped the war. Even after we finished dealing with Muramasa, we still have all the Sword Fiends to worry about. I just thought we could spend some time together."

Hitsugaya sighed and put his pen down. He walked over to the couch and sat beside Hitomi. He wrapped an arm around her one she'd cuddled into his side. He was relieved Matsumoto wasn't in the room. He'd never hear the end of it. "Sorry. I've got a lot of work to do right now. I promise, though; as soon as I've finished everything, we'll go do something."

"Just you and me?" Hitomi asked hopefully, her eyes wide as she looked up at Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya couldn't help the small smile. He gave a slight nod. "Just you and me. Have you been doing all right? Are you still having the nightmares?"

"Sometimes." Hitomi admitted softly. "Sometimes, I dream about the war. I dream about us losing, and Aizen taking me away again. I don't want to go back with him, Daddy. I want to stay with you."

"You won't go back with him." Hitsugaya promised. He tightened his grip around Hitomi. He'd be damned if he ever let Aizen lay another hand on Hitomi again. "Now, get out of here so I can finish my work."

"Yes, Daddy." Hitomi leaned up and kissed Hitsugaya's cheek before running out of the room. She ran outside, trying to see if she could find anyone to play with. Her face lit up when she saw two familiar people standing outside the Research Department. "Zabimaru!"

Saru looked up in time and caught Hitomi in her arms. "What are you doing here, Hitomi-sama?"

"Daddy is busy right now, but he promised me that we'd spend time together soon!" Hitomi said excitedly. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We need to turn this in to the Research Department, but it doesn't look like anyone is home." Hebi said, waving a broken sword around in the air. He looked at Saru. "Should we just come back later?"

Saru huffed in annoyance. "That's too much trouble." She looked around before putting Hitomi down and running over to a barred window.

Hitomi followed the two over to the window, watching closely as Saru pulled the bars away. "Can I come with you guys?"

Hebi grinned. "Sure! After you, Hitomi-sama!"

Hitomi returned the grin. She leapt through the bars and landed gracefully in the hallway of the Research Department. She looked up, only to see Hebi dangling in the air while Saru was stuck in the bars. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine!" Saru grit out. "Hebi, get up here and help me!"

Hitomi watched the two closely, trying her best to not giggle at the two of them. She looked to her side when she heard someone walking down the hallway. Her eyes lit up and she ran over. "Senbonzakura!"

Senbonzakura patted Hitomi's head. He looked up at Zabimaru. "What are you two doing?"

Saru came unstuck at that moment. She and Hebi fell unceremoniously to the floor. They both looked up, only to find Senbonzakura hovering over them with Hitomi sitting on his shoulder.

"You two have sunk to a new low." Senbonzakura chastised. "Breaking in to another division? To top it off, you've dragged Hitomi-sama into your illegal misdeeds."

Hitomi tapped on the side of Senbonzakura's mask. "What are you doing here, Senbonzakura?"

"Byakuya-sama asked me to drop off this Sword Fiend." Senbonzakura answered, holding up a broken sword.

"We're doing the same thing." Hebi said. "Nobody is here, though."

Senbonzakura nodded, adjusting Hitomi on his shoulder. "Apparently everybody is out doing field research today."

"You'd think they would've left someone here to watch the place." Hitomi said, idly playing with Senbonzakura's hair. She tugged on his hair until he looked up at her. "How'd you manage to get in here anyway?"

"I came in through the front door." Senbonzakura answered, pointing over to a large hole in the front door. "It would've been a waste of my time to come back later."

"You're the one who's breaking and entering!" Saru and Hebi shouted together, while Hitomi just giggled.

"Let's go." Senbonzakura said, completely ignoring Zabimaru. He put Hitomi on the ground and took her hand in his, leading the way.

Hitomi giggled. She could hear Zabimaru muttering irritably behind them. "Don't be mean to Zabimaru, Senbonzakura."

"Of course, Hitomi-sama." Senbonzakura said, leading the way into one of the Research Department's work rooms.

Hebi began screaming in terror at all the monsters and strange creatures that were in large glass tubes throughout the room. He ignored Saru scolding him for being such a baby. Hebi looked down when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Hitomi smiled up at Hebi and held her hand out to him. "It's okay, Hebi. Will you hold my hand? I'm a little scared."

Hebi immediately straightened up. He took Hitomi's hand and grinned. "Don't worry, Hitomi-sama. I'll protect you!"

The group walked up to the only empty tube in the room. Saru picked up a nearby remote control and opened up the tube.

"How'd you know how to do that?" Hebi asked, surprised. He wasn't quite as scared anymore, but his grip on Hitomi's hand didn't loosen.

Saru shrugged casually. "Renji's brought us here enough times. I just remembered what he did. Hurry and put the sword in." Once Hebi had done this, Saru turned her attention to Senbonzakura. "Senbonzakura…what are you doing?!"

Hitomi gasped as Senbonzakura flailed about before he dropped the remote he'd been playing with. "You shouldn't play with those things." Hitomi scolded. "If you push the wrong button, something bad will happen."

Senbonzakura scoffed, jerking his head towards Saru. "She shouldn't have startled me." He mumbled

His voice was almost completely drowned out by the sound of the alarm going off. Hitomi clung to Hebi's hand even tighter. She looked up when the alarm finally stopped, only to find a giant glass dome coming down from the ceiling and over them. Hitomi began pounding furiously on the glass while Zabimaru yelled at Senbonzakura. "Daddy is going to kill me!" Hitomi wailed. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"Don't worry, Hitomi-sama." Senbonzakura said, drawing his sword. "Scatter…"

"No!" Zabimaru and Hitomi shouted in unison. Saru crouched down over Hitomi to shield the little girl from the Senbonzakura's attack. Once the attack had stopped, Saru straightened up with Hitomi in her arms. "What's wrong with you? This glass is fortified to stop Sword Fiends from getting out! Your attack won't work in here!"

"Then, what are we supposed to do?" Senbonzakura asked impatiently.

Hitomi gave him a small smile, hoping to call the Zanpaktou down. "We'll just have to wait until someone comes back and lets us out."

Senbonzakura sighed. "I guess it can't be helped." He plopped down on the ground, which made Zabimaru and Hitomi breathe a sigh of relief. Their relief was short lived as Senbonzakura began trembling. "Are they here yet? How long are they going to keep us waiting?"

"Senbonzakura, please calm down." Hitomi said, jumping out of Saru's arms and going over to Senbonzakura's side. She squealed as he suddenly leapt up with his sword drawn. She latched onto Senbonzakura's waist while Saru and Hebi both held onto his arms. "Senbonzakura, please don't use your attack in here again!"

"I counted all the way to ten in my head!" Senbonzakura exclaimed.

"They aren't taking a bath!" Saru shouted.

Everyone froze at the sound of the door sliding open. Hitomi smiled in relief when she saw the Zanpaktou fluttering in. "Jizou-chan!"

Jizou fluttered over to hover in front of the glass dome the group was trapped in. Despite all their shouting, he couldn't hear them through the glass. He tilted his head curiously to the side, wondering why Hitomi was with such a loud group of people.

"Ah, Jizou-chan!" Hitomi exclaimed when the Zanpaktou flew away. They all breathed a sigh of relief when he came back in with something under his outfit. She sighed when all he pulled out was a bunch of bananas. "No, Jizou-chan! The remote!"

"Control yourself!" Saru shouted. With Hebi's help, she attempted to hold back Senbonzakura. Their attempts were for naught when Jizou broke the remote.

"Stop scaring Jizou-chan, Senbonzakura!" Hitomi shouted angrily.

"Well, why'd he run away?" Senbonzakura said, sulking. "He broke that remote on purpose."

"Your murderous aura scared him off!" Saru snapped impatiently. "Now, we just have to wait for the others to come back."

"No way!" Senbonzakura said, drawing his sword. "I'm done with waiting! Bankai!"

Hitomi latched onto Senbonzakura's waist to avoid the swirling petals. She glared up at Senbonzakura once the attack stopped and the glass was broken. "You could've hurt Zabimaru! You can't be impatient like that!"

The sound of the alarm going off made Saru and Hebi pause in yelling at Senbonzakura. They looked over to see the doors sliding shut. Senbonzakura scooped Hitomi up under his arm and began leading the way.

"Where are we going?" Hebi shouted to Senbonzakura.

"I don't know." Senbonzakura answered.

Saru snarled. "Then why are you leading the way?"

"Do you really think I'd bring up the rear for anyone but my master? Besides, Hitomi-sama's life is more important than yours. Hurry, the doors are almost all closed." He slid through the last door, holding Hitomi close to him. Saru and Hebi were close behind him.

Hitomi flinched as they crashed into machines before finally coming to a stop. Hitomi sat up in Senbonzakura's lap and smiled up at him. "Thank you, Senbonzakura." She gasped as his mask crumbled away. She'd never seen Senbonzakura's face before. "Your mask…"

Senbonzakura quickly pulled out a spare. "There."

"Where were you keeping that?" Saru and Hebi shouted. Saru sighed irritably. "It looks like we're in the control room. Let's hurry up and turn off the alarm."

Hitomi stood by Saru and watched her pushing buttons. She blinked when a video of Renji in the bath popped up. "Renji's naked…"

"Don't look, Hitomi-sama!" Hebi shrieked as another video of a few male shinigami in the bathroom popped up.

"They're able to watch everyone's lives…how perverse." Senbonzakura snarled. He began pushing random buttons in an attempt to shut off the videos. All he succeeded in doing was turning the water in Renji's bath to boiling hot, destroying the toilets, and eventually setting off a multitude of explosions throughout Seireitei.

Hitomi looked over when the door started opening, ignoring Senbonzakura and Zabimaru arguing. Her face quickly fell when she saw the mist rolling in. "You guys made Jizou-chan angry!"

Saru and the others looked over to see Jizou in his bigger form, glowering furiously at them through the doorway. While Saru and Hebi let out shrieks of terror, Senbonzakura boldly approached the door. "Bankai!"

Hitomi sighed and sat down on the floor. It wasn't long before Zabimaru joined in the fight. Hitomi quickly crawled under a nearby table that hadn't been destroyed before everything blew up. Once the sounds of explosions and destruction stopped, Hitomi looked up through her arms and saw that the Research Division had been completely destroyed. "Jizou-chan!"

Jizou weakly lifted his head up when Hitomi knelt down beside him. He chirped and snuggled against her.

"Hitomi-sama, what are you doing here?" Oniyuri shouted, standing at the top of the crater.

When Hitomi looked up, she found all the captains and most of the vice-captains standing at the top of the crater. She flinched away from her father's furious glare. "I didn't do it! Honest, Daddy!"

"It was all his fault!" Saru and Hebi shouted, pointing accusingly at Senbonzakura when Renji began yelling at them. "We got trapped in the first place because you fiddled with the remote!"

"Jizou broke the remote and trapped us in there." Senbonzakura corrected.

"You're the one who messed with the controls in the control room and threw Seireitei into chaos!" Hebi protested.

Senbonzakura shrugged. "The Research Department was illegally spying on people."

"Well, you're the one that went Bankai and started destroying the whole lab!" Saru shouted.

"You two destroyed the entire Research Department." Senbonzakura said.

Hitomi giggled nervously. She could still feel Hitsugaya's eyes drilling into the back of her head. She knew she was in so much trouble.

"Hitomi, get up here now!" Hitsugaya grit out.

Jizou got up, fluttering protectively in front of Hitomi and chirping angrily. He blinked when Hitomi patted him on the head.

"It's okay, Jizou-chan." Hitomi said. "Daddy is just going to scold me a little." She quickly scrambled up the incline of the crater. She waved goodbye to Zabimaru and Senbonzakura, though Senbonzakura was the only one to respond. Zabimaru was currently getting yelled at by Renji.

Hitsugaya grabbed Hitomi's hand and tugged her back towards his office. "You couldn't just go play. You just had to blow up an entire Research Department."

Hitomi smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"You're going to write apology letters to everyone you troubled, got it?" Hitsugaya sighed out.

"Yes sir." Hitomi was quiet for a moment. "Hey, Daddy, you're still going to spend time with me, right?"

Hitsugaya squeezed Hitomi's hand gently after a moment. "Of course."

Hitomi hugged Hitsugaya from behind. "You're the best daddy ever!"


	61. Back to Normal

**Sakura02: Aw, but baby Byakuya was so adorably angry!  
TheCaramelSecrets: Lol, I'm glad you enjoy my stories. I don't think anything you say could really freak me out :)**

**Thanks: erica. phoneix16, Guest, Lady Miel Cacao, kakashiiswifey, SeireiteiFantasy, demonwolf1996, draconichero21, rmc01, and Lunaveon for reviewing.**

* * *

"Kazeshini really loves his work." Hitomi said brightly, smiling up at Shuuhei. The Ninth Squad had been tasked with hunting down another Sword Fiend. The work to get the Sword Fiends under control seemed never ending. "Oniyuri, do you want to go help him?"

Oniyuri slouched down, watching Kazeshini gleefully fight the clearly outmatched Sword Fiend. "No…he seems to have everything under control. I'd rather not get in his way."

Shuuhei sighed, watching Kazeshini disappear around the corner with the Sword Fiend. "How many more reports are we going to have to do on these damn things?"

"Don't worry, Shuuhei. I'll help you!" Hitomi piped up. "I'm going to go check on Kazeshini. Come on, Oniyuri." She took her Zanpaktou's hand and ran around the corner just as the Sword Fiend began to scream. She was taken aback when he suddenly burst into flame and turned back into a sword. She ran over to Kazeshini and tugged on his hand. "Kazeshini, did you do that?"

"No…" Kazeshini mumbled, staring at the spot where the Sword Fiend had just been. He and Oniyuri exchanged a worried look. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard footsteps approaching. "Hey, Hitomi-hime, don't say anything to Shuuhei."

Hitomi was about to protest, but Oniyuri squeezed her hand and shook his head. She pouted, but didn't say anything when Shuuhei walked up and congratulated Kazeshini on dealing with the Sword Fiend.

"You guys are already done?" Zabimaru walked up with Renji close behind.

Hitomi looked curiously at Kazeshini, while Renji and Shuuhei talked. None of them would meet her eyes. Something strange had happened with the Sword Fiend, and she wanted to know exactly what it was. She stayed behind while Renji and Shuuhei walked away. "So, that Sword Fiend…it went back to normal without you killing it, Kazeshini."

"Really?" Zabimaru asked in surprise.

"Hitomi-sama, maybe you should go back to your barracks." Saru said, smiling at the little girl.

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out in annoyance. "No way! I hate when you guys keep secrets from me! Last time you did, Muramasa made you all go evil and rebel! Whatever you guys are up to, I want to help."

"Oniyuri, tell her to go." Hebi whined, poking the tiger boy in the face.

Oniyuri looked nervously over at Hitomi. He flinched when he met her furious glare. "Um…Hitomi-sama…maybe you should…"

"No!" Hitomi stomped her foot, ending the discussion. "Come on. Let's go find some of the others and see if they've noticed anything strange."

Kazeshini cackled and bowed mockingly. "Whatever you say, Hitomi-hime."

The group wandered around Seireitei for the rest of the afternoon, trying to find any more Sword Fiends. Eventually, night fell and the full moon rose high up into the air. Hitomi wasn't going to admit it, but she was getting rather sleepy. She happened to look over to her left and saw a couple of Zanpaktou. "Hōzukimaru! Kujaku!"

Kujaku smiled as small arms were flung around his neck. "Good evening, Hitomi-hime. Isn't it rather late for you to be out?"

Hōzukimaru scoffed. "She can stay out as long as she wants." He raised an eyebrow when he saw Oniyuri, Zabimaru, and Kazeshini all walking over. "You guys never hang out together."

"Sure we do." Kazeshini said dismissively.

"So, what's up?" Hōzukimaru asked. "Did something happened to your beloved master, Kazeshini?"

Hitomi giggled as Kazeshini began yelling angrily in protest. "I think he was just kidding, Kazeshini. Besides, we need to talk to them, remember?" She let go of Kujaku and sat down beside the Zanpaktou, Oniyuri coming over and immediately sitting next to her.

"We found that Sword Fiend's tracks." Kazeshini said, causing the other Zanpaktou to gasp in surprise. He ignored the curious look Hitomi sent him. "A Sword Fiend turned back into a sword after he'd been drained of so much reiatsu that he looked like a wrung out towel."

"What are you talking about?" Hitomi asked finally. "Why was his reiatsu drained? What's going on?"

Saru sighed in annoyance when none of the others spoke up. "Calm down, Hitomi-sama. You know Sword Fiends are Zanpaktou that have lost their masters. Well, they only have a finite amount of reiatsu. Eventually, they run out and simply disappear."

"That's why we haven't seen as many lately." Oniyuri added. "Most of them are just going extinct."

Kazeshini sighed irritably. "Yeah, but there's one that can steal the reiatsu of other Zanpaktou and use it as his own. "

"Like what Kujaku can do." Hitomi piped up, smiling when Kujaku patted her on the head. "So, what's the big deal?"

Kazeshini leaned over and flicked Hitomi in the forehead. "Don't interrupt and I'll tell you." He ignored Hitomi's whine of protest and Saru scolding him. "This guy has surpassed his master in terms of strength. His master was holding him back. Now that his master is gone, he can use as much power as he wants."

"So, he's overpowering the other Zanpaktou and stealing their strength." Hōzukimaru said coolly, taking a sip from his sake bowl.

"This is bad." Kujaku said nervously. "I can't imagine a worse enemy for Shinigami to face."

Hōzukimaru stood up, cracking his neck. "We'll deal with him and finish off the Sword Fiends once and for all. Hitomi-sama, you should really go back to your barracks now. Get some good rest."

"No way!" Hitomi said, glaring at all the Zanpaktou. "You guys all act like I'm stupid, and don't know what's going on! You're all about to disappear, and none of you were going to say anything to me! I'm going to help stop this Sword Fiend. If you don't let me, I'll go and tell Shuuhei and the others you guys are up to something."

Saru reached over and stroked Hitomi's hair. "All right. You can come with us. You have to promise to be very careful, okay? We weren't trying to keep it a secret from you, really. We just…weren't sure how best to tell you."

Hitomi bit her lip. " You guys haven't even told Renji or the others, have you?" When they all shook their heads, she sighed. "So, where are we going?"

xXx

"He's huge!" Hitomi gasped out. She hadn't slept at all, and the sun was starting to creep up into the sky. She'd never seen a Zanpaktou like the one standing before her. He was the tallest she had ever seen, and reminded her of the Minotaur she'd heard about in stories. "We're going to fight him?"

"No." Hyōrinmaru placed a hand on Hitomi's head. "We are going to fight him. You are going to stay out of sight, and out of harm's way."

Haineko grinned and hugged Hitomi, seeing the upset look on her face. "You be a good girl and stay in hiding while we deal with this guy."

Hitomi frowned. "You're all running out of reiatsu. Can you really beat him?"

"Of course." Senbonzakura said, rushing out to deal with the giant Sword Fiend.

Oniyuri gave Hitomi a guilty smile before joining the others. He looked up when he felt someone ruffling his hair, only to find it was Hyōrinmaru. He smiled before turning his attention back to the giant Sword Fiend. "So, that's Kirikaze?"

Kazeshini cackled. "Yup. He's always had a bone to pick with his master."

"He can turn into mist." Saru said. "He uses that technique to steal others reiatsu away."

"That's horrible."

"Hitomi-sama, you're supposed to stay in hiding!" Tobiume wailed when she realized it was the little girl that had spoken.

Hitomi grinned, her sword drawn. "No way. I want to help. You guys have always taken care of me, even when I was a little baby. Now that you all need help, I want to return the favor."

"This isn't a child's fight." Hōzukimaru scoffed. He was the first to attack Kirikaze. His attack would've landed were it not for Kirikaze turning into mist. Hōzukimaru was saved by Senbonzakura from having his reiatsu absorbed. He snarled. "I don't need your help."

"Now isn't the time for individual heroics." Senbonzakura said.

The group began attacking Kirikaze. Hitomi even did her best to help, though nothing seemed to faze the giant Sword Fiend. He swatted them all away as though they were flies. Kirikaze was brought up short by Kujaku wrapping his vines around him and beginning to drain his reiatsu.

"You're amazing, Kujaku!" Hitomi cheered.

Kujaku smirked proudly. "He's not so tough. I don't see why we all had to…" He choked, and then suddenly began screaming.

"Kujaku!" Hitomi cried out as the Zanpaktou began fading away. Somehow, Kirikaze was stealing Kujaku's reiatsu instead of the other way around. "You leave Kujaku alone!" Hitomi quickly cut the vines that were connecting Kujaku to Kirikaze. She knelt beside the exhausted Zanpaktou while the others launched another attack at Kirikaze. "Are you okay, Kujaku?"

Kujaku gave her a shaky smile. "Yes. Sorry, Hitomi-sama…" He quickly grabbed the little girl as Kirikaze turned into mist and began blowing the whole group away.

Hitomi held tightly onto Kujaku. She didn't know how they were going to beat this guy. She wasn't particularly good at kido attacks. She wished Kira was there to help. "Zabimaru, look out!" She shouted when she saw Kirikaze coming down from the sky to attack the unsuspecting Zanpaktou.

The two briefly disappeared for a moment, and then reappeared a few yards away. Renji grinned at the two. "Yo."

Kira was there as well, already using a kido spell to bind Kirikaze. Kazeshini glared suspiciously over at Hitomi when all of the shinigami appeared.

"I didn't say anything!" Hitomi said defensively. She smiled when Oniyuri rushed over to her.

Nanao smiled. "Did you all think we hadn't noticed?" She asked, addressing the Zanpaktou.

"You idiots need to get out of here." Kazeshini hissed.

Shuuhei rolled his eyes. "You have a foot in the grave, and you're calling me an idiot? You're all almost at your limits."

"Everyone, just focus on the enemy for now." Matsumoto said.

"This Sword Fiend is the worst opponent for you shinigami." Oniyuri argued.

Hebi nodded his head. "Yeah! That's why we didn't say anything! Only reason Hitomi-sama came with us is 'cause she threatened to tattle on us."

"I wasn't going to tattle!" Hitomi protested.

"Shut up!" Renji barked, making both Hebi and Hitomi flinch. "What are we Shinigami to you anyway? Zanpaktou and Shinigami are no good on their own. We can only use our true power when we fight together. Didn't fighting Muramasa teach you anything? You can't just run off and fight him on your own."

All the Zanpaktou were silent, taking in what Renji had said. Saru smiled and spoke up. "You're right, Renji. We stand corrected."

"Guys, I think we should save the touchy feely stuff for later." Hitomi said, pointing to Kirikaze who had just broken out of his chains. She stood up, her sword drawn and ready to fight. She looked over when Oniyuri stepped in front of her. "Oniyuri?"

Oniyuri gave her a toothy smile. "It's like Renji-san said; we need to work together to make our true power come out. Let's fight together again, Hitomi-sama."

Hitomi smiled and nodded. She held her sword out in front of her. "Oniyuri." She said softly, watching the tiger boy in front of her disappear and return to the sword in her hand. Hitomi couldn't help her smile widening. The sword in her hand felt warmer, more alive. "Welcome home, Oniyuri." She held her sword back out. "Tobikau, Oniyuri!" She noticed some of the Zanpaktou returning to their sword forms and smiled sadly. She'd liked having them all in the physical plane, where everyone else could see them. The shinigami that were present through everything they had at Kirikaze, weakening him so that he could no longer turn into mist. "Ah, he's trying to get away!"

"Renji, those of us that remain will give you our strength to stop him." Saru said. She grinned over at Hitomi as she and Hebi began to disappear. "It was fun, Hitomi-sama. Keep this idiot in line for us, okay?"

Hitomi nodded. "Of course." She looked sadly over at Hyōrinmaru as he began to disappear. "See you soon?"

Hyōrinmaru smiled at her. "Of course." He then disappeared along with the remaining Zanpaktou.

"Renji, kick Kirikaze's butt!" Hitomi shouted.

Renji grinned. "That's the plan, Hitomi." He unleashed his Bankai on the retreating Sword Fiend and completely obliterated him.

When the smoke cleared, Kirikaze was gone, as well as all of the Zanpaktou. Nanao sighed sadly. "Just like the Sword Fiends, their reiatsu ran out."

Hitomi ran over and hugged Matsumoto around the waist. She smiled at the group. "It's okay. Their physical forms were made by Muramasa. They're home now, where they belong. Besides, you can all still see them whenever you want."

"I still want to know how you're able to see all of them." Matsumoto whined, picking up the little girl and rubbing her cheek against hers. "Why won't you tell your Matsumoto-mama?"

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out. "I already told you; I don't know. I've always been able to see them." Hitomi let out an excited gasp. "Now that the Sword Fiends are gone, Daddy promised he'd spend a day with me!" She hopped out of Matsumoto's arms and began tugging on the woman's hand impatiently. "Let's go, Matsumoto-mama!"

Rukia laughed as they all followed after the excited child. "It seems as though everything is finally getting back to normal." In the back of her mind, she was worried about what would happen when Aizen attacked again.


	62. Return to War

**Sakura02: Yup! We're back to the manga after this one!**

**Thanks: erica. phoenix16, draconichero21, Lady Miel Cacao, Lunaveon, Authoresses of the Red Rose, BrokenAngel363, SeireiteiFantasy, and lilkeyam for reviewing!**

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy, wake up!"

Hitsugaya grunted and shot up in his bed. He glared at the little girl grinning in his lap. "Hitomi, it is too early. Go back to bed right now." He allowed himself a small smile when Hitomi pouted and climbed off of him. He flopped back down while Hitomi walked over to the door. He pulled his blankets back up tighter around his chin, drifting back to sleep…

He heard the running footsteps too late to realize what was about to happen. He let out a whoosh of air as Hitomi belly flopped onto him. He glared at her and pulled himself back up. "Hitomi, go to bed!"

Hitomi pouted at Hitsugaya. She hugged Hitsugaya tightly. "You promised we could spend the day together. We never get to spend any time together, and you promised."

Hitsugaya groaned in annoyance. She was giving him the puppy eyes. He hated the puppy eyes. The puppy eyes meant he was going to give her her way, whether he wanted to or not. "Give me fifteen minutes to get ready. Go wake Matsumoto up while you're waiting." He smirked as Hitomi ran excitedly out of the room. At least he'd have a few minutes of peace and quiet.

Hitomi ran down the hallway of the Tenth Division barracks to where Matsumoto's room was. "Matsumoto-mama, wake up!"

Matsumoto yelped as she was rudely awakened. She sat up and put on a smile for the little girl in her lap. "Hitomi, it's so early. Go back to bed, Sweetie."

"Daddy and I are going to spend the whole day together! He's getting ready right now, and he told me to come wake you up." Hitomi blabbered out.

Matsumoto couldn't help smiling at the bright and cheerful smile on Hitomi's face. She rubbed noses with the little girl. "That's so sweet. Do you want me to do your hair real pretty for today?"

"Yes!" Hitomi squealed. She followed Matsumoto into the bathroom and sat on the stool. She smiled happily as Matsumoto began brushing her hair. "Remember when I was really little, and you'd put my hair in the two high pigtails?"

"Of course." Matsumoto yawned out. "You didn't have as much hair then as you do now. It's getting so long. Do you want to cut it?"

Hitomi shook her head stubbornly. "I want to let it keep growing."

Matsumoto smiled. "All right. Well, since it's such a special day, let's make your hair look extra special."

Hitomi sat patiently on the stool, only let out an occasional whimper as her hair was pulled and braided. "What're you doing, Matsumoto-mama?"

"Hush. You'll see in a few minutes." Matsumoto promised. Once she was satisfied with her work, Matsumoto put the brush down. She picked up a mirror and turned Hitomi to face her. "What do you think?"

Hitomi looked in the mirror to see the reflection of her hair. She grinned widely. Matsumoto had braided only part of her hair in the shape of a heart. "I love it, Matsumoto-mama! Thank you!" She leaned up and quickly kissed Matsumoto on the cheek.

Matsumoto smiled and kissed Hitomi's cheek back. "Go on now. Taicho should be all ready by now." She watched Hitomi run excitedly from the room. For some reason, her heart felt heavy. They had yet noticed Aizen making any moves, which worried them. Matsumoto quickly spun on her heels and went to get ready for the day. Hopefully, they could all rest for a while before going back to war.

Hitsugaya was just stepping out of his room when Hitomi rounded the corner. He held his hand out to stop her from running headlong into him. He was dressed in his usual attire. "Ready?"

Hitomi eagerly took Hitsugaya's hand in hers and smiled. "Yes! What are we going to do today, Daddy?"

"I hadn't really thought of anything." Hitsugaya confessed. He looked down, expecting to see Hitomi's disappointed face. Instead, he was greeted with one of her brightest smiles.

"I've got an idea!" Hitomi quickly led Hitsugaya to the Tenth Division kitchens. She made him wait at the door while she talked to the cook inside. After a few minutes, she came out with a cloth covered basket. She took Hitsugaya's hand and began leading him out of the barracks.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow as they walked down the streets of Seireitei. A few shinigami acknowledged them along the way. Hitsugaya gave them a dismissive nod. "Where are we going, Hitomi?"

Hitomi grinned up at him. "It's a surprise." Eventually, they left the bustling city portion of Seireitei behind them. They were now in one of the very nice and lush parks that were scattered throughout the large city. There a few shinigami milling about, commenting on the beauty of the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Hitomi wove through the trees until the sounds of people were completely behind them. She finally stopped beside a clear crystal blue lake. She put the basket down and spread the cloth out. Slowly, she began pulling out covered dishes from the basket.

After a moment. Hitsugaya sat down beside her. "How'd you manage all this?" He asked, peeling back one of the coverings on the plate to reveal a delicious mushroom omelet.

"I didn't think you'd know what to do today, so I planned this for us." Hitomi said brightly.

Hitsugaya reached over and affectionately ruffled her hair. The two ate the delicious food in relative silence, enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature around them. Hitsugaya looked over at Hitomi once they'd finished eating. "Is there anything else you want to do today?"

Hitomi twisted her hair in her hands. "Not really. I just wanted to get to spend some time with you today. I know you've got lots of work to finish, so I didn't plan anything else…"

Indeed, there was a giant stack of papers on Hitsugaya's desk, waiting impatiently for him to return and sign them. He looked back at Hitomi, understanding flashing in her eyes that were as clear and blue as the lake. Hitsugaya stood up and stretched. "I do have a lot of work to do."

Hitomi sighed and nodded her head. She'd known that was probably what he would say, but she'd hoped he would maybe spend a bit more time with her. She was surprised when he pulled his Zanpaktou out. "What are you doing, Daddy?"

Hitsugaya flashed her a rare smile. "Just be quiet and watch."

Hitomi obeyed. She remained on the blanket while Hitsugaya walked over to the lake. She couldn't help the small squeal of delight that tore from her when Hitsugaya froze the lake. She rushed over to his side and looked at it. "It's so pretty, Daddy."

Hitsugaya sheathed his sword and held his hand out to her. "Come on."

Curious, Hitomi took Hitsugaya's proffered hand. She gasped as he gently tugged her out onto the ice. Hitomi smiled as they began skating around. She remembered when Hitsugaya had done this with her on her last birthday, which seemed so long ago now. She couldn't believe it hadn't yet been a year since Ichigo and the others had come into their lives. It hadn't even been a year since Aizen had kidnapped her…

Hitsugaya was forced to stop when Hitomi came to an abrupt halt. "What's wrong, Hitomi?"

"Are we going back to war soon, Daddy?" Hitomi asked quietly.

Hitsugaya knelt down on the cold ice, eye level with the little girl. "I don't know, Hitomi. It doesn't matter, though. I won't let him take you away again. I'll keep you safe, I swear it."

Hitomi smiled and wrapped her arms around Hitsugaya's neck. She kissed his cheek and nuzzled her head against his shoulder. "I'll protect you too, Daddy. I'll protect you and everyone else." She smiled as Hitsugaya hugged her back. He rarely did so in public where others might see. Despite his powers coming from cold and ice, he was always so warm to her when he held her.

Their father-daughter moment was broken by a frantic shinigami rushing towards them. "Hitsugaya-taicho, we've received an alert! Aizen has attempted to attack Karakura again! We're transporting it to safety right now and everyone is mobilizing to fight!"

"Is the broken pillar repaired?" Hitsugaya asked, straightening up. The love and warmth was gone from his face, and in its place was his cool and collected captain mask.

The shinigami shook his head. "We were unable to repair it in time. That piece of Karakura will not be able to be transported to safety."

"Let's hope there aren't too many civilians there." Hitsugaya muttered. He looked down at Hitomi and saw the fear and worry in her eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go, Hitomi. We have a job to do. Go to your division, now."

Hitomi nodded quickly. She ran away from the lake, the basket and blanket forgotten. It only took her a few minutes to reach Shuuhei and the others. As soon as those that were leaving to fight were gathered, they departed for the fake Karakura to continue their battle with Aizen. Hitomi tried to look for Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. She could sense them, but couldn't see them.

Aizen wasn't yet there when the shinigami stepped through the portal. Hitomi found Hitsugaya and placed herself beside him.

"Be strong, Hitomi." Hitsugaya said, his Zanpaktou drawn and ready.

Hitomi nodded. "I will be, Daddy." She straightened up as the sky before them tore open. She held her breath, and watched Aizen, Gin, and Tousen step through. He had returned with the few remaining Espada they had last seen, though there were a substantial number of new Arrancar in their midst. Hitomi scanned all the familiar faces. She didn't see Ulquiorra with them. She wasn't sure if she was glad or sad for that. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw an Arrancar she recognized.

He wasn't much taller than Hitomi. He had straight red hair that fell just below his ears. One wide blue eye stared around in wonder and slight fear. The other was hidden behind a piece of his hollow mask that wrapped all the way around to the back of his head. His Hollow hole was visible on the right of his chest, opposite of his heart. On the left of his chest was something that made Hitomi's heart stop. The number '9' was etched in deep black ink into his chest. His gaze met Hitomi's, and the young Arrancar's face immediately fell.

"Hitomi, do you know him?" Hitsugaya asked, his sword drawn and ready to fight.

Hitomi nodded slowly. "He is…was…my friend." Her mind flashed through all the times she'd spent with the boy while trapped in Hueco Mundo. In all the chaos of escaping, she hadn't had a chance to think about him. She hadn't seen him at all, which she'd been grateful for. He was one of the Arrancar she wanted to fight the least. "Alano…"


	63. The Battle Resumes

**I am so sorry for the long wait between updates! School comes before everything else, even my own writing. I'll try to update more frequently. I've only got one more year of college, and the workload is definitely starting to kick my butt.**

**Sakura02: Lol, don't be a hater! **

**Thank you: erica. phoenix16, Saint River 2.0, lilkeyam, Coyot-Starrk-LG, KaKashiisWifey, draconichero21, Lady Miel Cacao, Lunaveon, anonymous, and Jilian for reviewing! **

* * *

Hitomi could clearly remember the first day she'd met Alano. She'd run off, trying in vain to hide from Aizen. It was just after she'd been kidnapped, and she had yet to get to know any of the Espada. She'd ran into what she thought was an empty room. She'd closed the door and slumped down on the floor, finally allowing herself to cry.

"Why are you crying?" A soft voice called.

Hitomi had whipped around, only to come face to face with a young Arrancar boy. She quickly backed herself into the wall. She glared at the boy through her tears. "Get away from me." She hissed.

The boy shrank back, but kept his eyes on Hitomi. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not going to hurt you. You're Hitomi-hime, right?"

Hitomi could remember how something about the way the boy had spoken had put her at ease. She'd relaxed away from the wall and taken a few cautious steps towards the boy. "What's your name?"

"Alano." The boy had answered softly.

After their first meeting, Hitomi would sneak off to hang out with Alano as often as she possibly could. The two would always meet in the same empty room, and simply talk. Hitomi would tell Alano about her life in Seireitei, and Alano would talk about what life had been like before Aizen showed up. He was one of Grimmjow's subordinates, but Grimmjow didn't have him fight very often.

Now, the two were staring each other down from across the battlefield, on opposite sides. "Alano, why are you here? You're not a fighter." She knew he couldn't hear her, but he could see her lips moving.

Hitsugaya looked down at Hitomi. He could sense movement just off to the side. When he looked back at Aizen, the Espada were no longer beside him. Hitsugaya could see Halibel just a short distance off. He had yet to finish his fight with her…

Hitomi reached out and touched Hitsugaya's hand. "It's okay, Daddy. Go fight. I'll deal with Alano."

Hitsugaya gave her a curt nod, and then rushed over to where Halibel was. Hitomi and Alano stared at each other a moment longer, before both disappeared and then reappeared a short distance away. The two were standing closer together now, facing each other down on one of the rooftops. "Why'd you become an Espada, Alano?"

Alano looked at Hitomi with pleading eyes. Neither of them had drawn their weapon. "I didn't have any choice, Hitomi. I'm sorry."

"Is Grimmjow okay?" Hitomi asked hopefully. The last time she'd seen the Espada, he'd been seriously injured by Nnoitra.

"I…I don't know. I haven't seen Grimmjow-sama in a while." Alano answered quietly. He looked behind him and quickly sucked in a breath. He drew his sword and pointed it towards Hitomi. "I'm really sorry about this, Hitomi. I don't want to hurt you, but I have my orders."

Hitomi glanced around Alano and saw Aizen staring at the two of them, his usual arrogant smirk on his face. "Aizen…" Hitomi snarled out. She barely noticed Alano moving until it was almost too late. She leapt back and drew her own sword. "I don't want to fight you, Alano!"

"I don't either, but what choice do we have?" Alano said, his sword finally clashing with Hitomi's.

"You don't have to fight for Aizen!" Hitomi answered. She remained on the defensive, refusing to hurt her friend. "You can fight with us, against him!"

Alano wasn't putting his best into the fight. He may have been one of the youngest Arrancar, but he was an excellent fighter. He hesitated at Hitomi's proclamation, but quickly shook it off. "I…I can't!" His attacks continued, coming more and more rapidly at Hitomi.

Hitomi took a few steps back, concentrating on blocking Alano's attacks. Both she and Alano paused suddenly. Hitomi's breath caught in her throat. She looked around, unable to tell if any of the other Espada or Arrancar had sensed it. She and Alano both looked to each other. "Ulquiorra…"

She had always had a rather odd relationship with the stoic Espada. He had never been as close to her as Grimmjow had, but he had always been there when she needed him. She could feel herself choking up, but she quickly pushed it aside. She couldn't afford to cry right now. "Alano, fight with us. We can stop this fighting and end all this killing."

Again, Alano hesitated. "The shinigami would never allow me into their ranks."

"Yes they would." Hitomi argued. She lowered her sword, since Alano was no longer attacking her. She grinned at her friend. "If I tell them to, they will." She could see Alano was hesitating, and that there was a conflict going on in his mind. "Please, Alano. I don't want to fight any more of my friends."

Alano was about to answer, when he stopped. He looked up at the sky, and his mouth opened in shock.

Hitomi looked up to see what it was that Alano was staring at. She let out a small gasp. The sky was completely dark, and the air around them had suddenly become very cold. She looked off to her left, trying to see some of the others. She couldn't see him, but she knew that this was Hitsugaya's doing. She turned her attention back to Alano and sheathed her sword. She held her hand out to him, and smiled. "Come on, Alano. The only reason you ever followed Aizen was because of Grimmjow. Please?"

Alano hesitated for just a few more seconds. He sheathed his sword. He gave Hitomi a smaller, more hesitant smile. He placed his hand in hers and nodded. "Okay. You're sure they won't try and kill me?"

"Well, they might try and kill you." Hitomi said thoughtfully. She squeezed Alano's hand and quickly backtracked when she saw the horrified look on Alano's face. "I won't let them! I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Come on. Let's go help my daddy."

Hitomi and Alano disappeared from the rooftop, and reappeared a few feet away from Hitsugaya. It was colder the closer they got to him, but Hitomi didn't mind. "Daddy!"

Hitsugaya glanced away from the tall pillar of ice before him. He saw red when he saw the Arrancar boy holding Hitomi's hand. He pointed his sword towards them. "Get away from him, Hitomi!"

Hitomi quickly moved in front of the terrified Alano, her hand still in his. "It's okay, Daddy. He's a friend! He wants to help us. He doesn't want to fight for Aizen."

"How do you know you can trust him?" Hitsugaya hissed out, his eyes never leaving the trembling Arrancar child.

"He's my friend, that's how." Hitomi answered. She let go of Alano's hand and went to Hitsugaya. She placed her hand gently on his arm, ignoring the biting cold that numbed her fingertips. "Daddy, please. You have to trust him."

Hitsugaya looked between Hitomi and Alano. Finally, he lowered his blade from pointing at the boy. "Fine. You will be the one to explain this to Yamamoto-taicho. He may not be as lenient as I am."

Hitomi grinned, relieved her father had listened to her. She looked over at Alano and held her hand out. She took Alano's hand once he was close enough to her, missing the way Hitsugaya began death glaring the poor boy. She looked back up at Hitsugaya. "What now?"

"Now, we find a way to end this war as quickly as possible." Hitsugaya answered, turning his angry gaze to Aizen.


End file.
